For Sale
by Chibi J
Summary: When women take a turn in power, the men can't handle it. After a grueling war, the males are the masters and females are property. Usagi is for sale and her new owner has some surprises for her. *contains some graphic scenes*
1. Prologue and Chapter 1

For years women fought to gain power, well, actually to gain equality. Liberation from man, independence, the ability to choose for oneself without a male's opinion.   
  
Finally, after years of fighting, women gained the upper hand. They were the executives, the homeowners, the breadwinners. Men dwindled in number and women became powerful.   
  
Yet with every shift in power comes war. Although women were becoming more powerful, they did not have control over everything and soon the men of the world came together with their armies and once again conquered woman.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
For Sale  
  
Rated PG-13  
  
By Chibi J  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"She's of fine breeding." A large greasy man with several teeth missing from his mouth spoke. He watched as another man, well dressed in a business suit, walked around the female.  
  
"She's blonde." The well-dressed man spoke as he lifted a lock of the female's hair. Yet she said nothing.  
  
"She's not dumb. I promise you she has a quick wit." The greasy man assured the businessman.  
  
The female in question simply stood where she was put. She had learned several times in her life not to mess with the males of the species. Although she was proud, she could no longer stand being mercilessly beaten for speaking her mind. Yet even standing in her naked state in a small tent in the market, she still had hope that she would not become a lost soul like other females she had seen.  
  
"What do you say female?" The businessman asked.  
  
"My name is Usagi. I am breed of the family Tsukino. I am fertile and willing to serve. Identification number 30291a." Usagi spoke in a bland and even tone. The words stung in her ears, but her training kept her in line. Without a buyer, she would be sent to work in a clean up zone, something she would prefer not to do.  
  
"She seems physically fit. Has she birthed yet?" The businessman asked the greasy seller.  
  
"No sir, she is clean and ripe. Untouched by anyone. A rare find." The greasy man replied, knowing that the sale was in the bag. He knew that this girl would bring him great money. How she had remained pure for so long was beyond him, but the money he would receive was better than taking her for himself.  
  
"Yes, she is quite the specimen. I will take her. Please deliver her to my flat." The businessman replied, handing the seller a card with his name and address.  
  
"Thank you Mr. Chiba. I assure you that you will enjoy your purchase."  
  
~*~  
  
AN: Now, I would normally end something here, knowing that it was a good place to stop. However, look! It's only been one and a half pages! No way I can stop there. So consider the top the prologue and from here down chapter one.  
  
~*~  
  
Usagi stood on the front steps of a large brick building. On the side of the front door was a silver plaque with the name "Chiba Estates" written on it. Her new owners name was Chiba. She groaned inside at the idea of yet another wealthy owner.   
  
Her last two owners had been wealthy. Yet 'snobs' was a better use of words. They were arrogant and power hungry. The first, who required her to call him master, was a rich man's son living off his father's money. He owned three other females and insisted that they never talk to each other. The second was a stockbroker who made it big. He insisted that she call him 'Sir Michael', although the closest he had been to royalty was the distance between him and the chessboard.  
  
She had gotten out of both placements easily. Her "Master" was arrested when he slapped her. For, although it was legal to buy a female against her will, it was against the law to injure one in anyway. Simply provoking him when he attempted to bed her caused him to slap her. Of course she reported it right away.  
  
Sir Michael was somehow misguided in the stock exchange. He had found a newspaper with two stocks highlighted. He had assumed that his trusted advisor had slipped the paper in his briefcase and quickly called in the request to buy. Unfortunately, he trusted the "advisor" and left for the night to go home to his newest acquisition, Usagi, whom he had purchased the evening before but was too tired to enjoy.  
  
It was a darn shame when two bodyguards for the company he worked stopped him at the exit. His stocks had plummeted and he lost everything...including Usagi. Ah well, so she knew nothing about stocks. Apparently neither did he.  
  
Yet here she was again. Another man's property. She had only been 18 for a week and was on her third owner. She was quite grateful that Gui, her current seller, had found her more valuable a virgin. He was disgusting and she had feared him to take her by force. Although she knew that she would be taken without choice eventually, she would prefer it not be by a man who had lost most of his teeth.  
  
Gui had personally escorted Usagi to Mr. Chiba's, to be sure that his income did not run away. She was a slippery devil, he knew that, but he was too smart to let her get by. He brought a finger to his nose, to wipe underneath, and then used said finger to ring the buzzer of the complex.  
  
"Chiba Estates, how may I help you?" A feminine voice asked through the speaker.  
  
"This is Gui. I have a delivery for Mr. Chiba." He answered with a snort.   
  
"Ah yes, I will buzz you in." The female replied simply.  
  
The sound of the buzzer sounded more like electricity and made Usagi think of the sound of the electric chair burning those females whom had refused to conform. It reminded her of a death sentence. All in all, it was not that promising.  
  
Gui held Usagi by the wrist and dragged her behind him. He knew not to take his hand from her or she would run. He was secretly saddened not to be able to tame such a wild animal, but he hoped that this Chiba fellow would do the job.  
  
Arriving at a small desk in the lobby, Gui found a female dressed in a simple red dress with dark black flowing hair. He seemed slightly shocked that she was working the desk, but decided that it was probably cheaper labor.  
  
"Mr. Gui, here is your check from Mr. Chiba." The dark hair female spoke to Gui with an air of confidence he found slightly disturbing. "Usagi, you are to come with me please."   
  
Gui was reluctant to let go of the female known as Usagi, but the check in his hand reminded him of the females he could buy with it. Many more than this one simple girl.   
  
The dark haired female turned from guiding Usagi to look back at Gui. He seemed to be standing there, as if waiting for something more. The female sighed. "Good day Mr. Gui." She said, before reaching towards her desk and pushing a button. The door they had previously entered opened before him.  
  
Muttering curses under his breath about blasted females, Gui left the posh estates and headed back towards town.   
  
"I am Rei, of the house of Chiba. Mamoru, your new owner, is my brother." Rei spoke in a light and airy tone. It was as if she had no care in the world.  
  
"I am Usagi. Formally of the house of Tsukino." Usagi replied in a monotone voice. This girl had to be at least her age, yet she was living under the care of her brother? How had she been so fortunate?  
  
"This way please Usagi." Rei motioned Usagi towards an elevator at the end of the hall in which they had been walking. Both females entered, yet only one was startled by the number of floors and sub floors the building had. It appeared that a key was required to get to the three sub-basements and another key to get into the penthouse.  
  
Rei entered a key for access to the penthouse and the elevator began to rise. "You will be staying with Mamoru in the penthouse. I will get you a key as soon as I can. But perhaps you would first like to dress?"   
  
Usagi looked down at her bare figure and almost felt embarrassed enough to blush. Females were treated worse than cattle and Usagi had been glad that she was merely carted around naked. Some females had been naked and chained around the neck with a collar and leash.  
  
"I would be grateful for that." Usagi replied in her same monotone voice. She was weary of growing attached to any female, knowing that relationships between two females were generally frowned upon (AN: I mean like friendship you hentai!).  
  
Rei sighed at Usagi's response. Usagi seemed cold and uncaring, yet deep inside she had hope, Rei could tell.  
  
The elevator stopped at the penthouse and the two females stepped off. The reason for a key to access the penthouse was obvious, there was no other door. The elevator opened immediately into what appeared to be a greeting room. There was a place for shoes and a closet for coats and several plush chairs. It was very formal and precise.  
  
Rei removed her shoes and Usagi suddenly wished that she had some. It felt extremely awkward to enter another's home and not be able to remove her shoes as custom requested.  
  
"If you'll come with me..." Rei trailed off as she walked through the greeting room. The two females walked to a hallway that led to several other rooms. Usagi took notice of a large living room, a moderate sized kitchen, a family room with a huge television and sound system, an exercise room, and a "games" room with a pool table, dartboard, and several video games.  
  
At the end of the hall were three rooms in a cluster. Two appeared to be bedrooms and the third a grand bathroom with hot tub, sauna, and three sinks. Of course it had a toilet too.  
  
"Your room is here." Rei pointed to the room on her left. She then pointed to the room straight ahead. "That is Mamoru's room."  
  
She turned toward Usagi, as if to gain acknowledgement of what she had said, only to find the female with a stunned expression. "Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm sorry." Usagi said quietly, looking between the two bedroom doors. "But did you say that I have my own room?"  
  
Rei grinned broadly at this new Usagi. The female was practically stuttering and seemed to be completely confused. It was quite amusing to the raven-haired female. "Yes. You have your own room. You will find some things here in Chiba Estates are not as you would find them in the "real" world."   
  
Usagi turned to Rei's smiling face and smiled in return. She stuck her hand out in front of herself in greeting. "I'm Usagi." She said cheerfully.  
  
Rei took the offered hand and gave it a shake. "I'm Rei. Welcome to your new home."  
  
~*~  
  
Rei had been a great help in getting Usagi settled into her new home, her new life. She spoke nothing of her brother, or of the other occupants of the building. She did, however, say that dinner was promptly at 6:00 and that it was on the third floor.  
  
Evidently, meals in this large manner were served "family style" and all of the residents' attended. No one was exempt from this policy, Usagi included.  
  
Rei had also informed Usagi that all of the clothing in the closet was now hers and that she had no need to walk around naked anymore. Usagi had finally felt able to blush about her nakedness, knowing that Rei would not use it against her in anyway.  
  
But in her heart, Usagi feared that Mr. Chiba would not allow her to be friends with his sister. That was also still a mystery. How was it that Rei was not sold to another male? But with the day going as it was, she didn't want to put stress onto her new...friend? Was it legal for a female to refer to another female as a friend anymore?  
  
With the multitude of thoughts racing through her head, Usagi decided to take a bath before dressing for dinner. It had been several years since she had gotten to take a bath and looked forward to it. After all, in the training grounds, you were only allowed to shower once a week and there were no baths, not even for females who were crippled in some form.  
  
She sighed as she sunk into her bath. Thinking of the five years in that dreaded place did nothing to help her spirit. Her spirit was all she had and she had never let them break it. Her hope was to someday see females be free again. When and how evaded her, but she knew that if she continued to hope, it would come true, someday.  
  
Standing from the tub, Usagi dried herself off as thoroughly as possible, before stepping out and walking towards her bedroom. "Her" bedroom had such a wonderful ring to it. Even as a child she had shared a bedroom with her sister. Minako was a year younger than Usagi, yet the two were often mistook for twins.   
  
Their father had died when Usagi was five, a victim of the war. A war that her family had no part in. Her mother never tried to rule the family, nor did her father wish that women were subservient. And although the family mourned the loss, they were also in celebration that he had left their mother with child. A boy.   
  
They had been very lucky that their mother's reputation of being a devoted wife and mother preceded her, or they may have been torn apart like many of the families of powerful women. Women who were hung or electrocuted.   
  
That was when women became "females". No longer were humans to look upon the different sexes as men and women, but males and females. Such as animals were referred to as. Of course the men weren't originally called males. Only the females were referred to in such a way. But in the next years, they had been reduced to being called males, just another member of the species.  
  
The dresses in the closet were all white or a very light grey. There were several different styles, yet they were all simple and modest. There was one that was identical to Rei's dress in all but color. It seemed strange, but she picked a different dress than that and donned it in appreciation. It had been a week since Usagi's clothes from the training center had been stripped from her.   
  
After dressing, she realized that it was near time for dinner and headed towards the elevator. It was odd that Mr. Chiba had never come home, but she shrugged it off as she made her way down to the third floor.  
  
The door opened and she stepped out to once again find herself in a large room. Much like the penthouse, the greeting room was immediately off the elevator and decorated in the same fashion. But what surprised her were the number of shoes at the entrance and the few females that were littered about the greeting room.  
  
Taking a shy step forward, Usagi nearly jumped when the elevator doors closed behind her.  
  
She took a step forward, but did not remove her shoes nor enter the room. A female with long brunette hair looked at her strangely before yelling. "Rei! Usagi is here!"  
  
Usagi's heart was beating a mile a minute at the shout, but relief flooded her when Rei entered the room. "Sorry I wasn't here to meet you Usagi. Please, take your shoes off and come and meet everyone."  
  
By everyone, Rei had been referring to the insane amount of females that were scattered throughout the third floor. The female who had yelled for Rei was Makoto. She was the cook and promised that dinner would be delicious.   
  
To her Usagi's delight, she met a female with short blue hair named Ami, who seemed terribly intelligent, a female with short blonde hair named Haruka, and another with shoulder length aqua hair named Michiru. Continuing out of the greeting room into what appeared a large dining room, she met many more females.   
  
There were three tables, with at least twelve place settings each, set up in the dinning room. All of the females began to take their seats and Rei had insisted that Usagi sit next to her. They sat at the middle table, which was the only one to have a head chair, slightly larger than the other chairs.  
  
Introductions were made around the area where Usagi was sitting with Rei and she met a mysterious looking female named Setsuna and a young female that couldn't have been more than 15 named Hotaru. Both had dark hair similar to Rei.  
  
Everyone in the room grew silent as many more females, dressed in serving attire (aprons and such) entered the room carrying large trays full of food. Each table received several large trays. As the servers placed down the trays and headed back towards the kitchen, the females sitting around the table broke into applause.  
  
Noticing the questioning look on Usagi's face, Rei decided to clear up the confusion. "I said before that you notice things are different in here than in the outside world. Here we still appreciate the work one woman does for another."  
  
Shocked at the word woman, especially used so loosely, Usagi paled. It was worse than the curse words her mother had washed her mouth out with soap for when she was three.   
  
"Usagi, calm your fears. We are a family here. There is no one to report you." Rei assured her.   
  
Usagi, however, was unable to calm herself. For as soon as Rei finished speaking, another voice floated from the entrance of the dining room.  
  
"Hi honey! I'm home!" was shouted in a joyful voice that was the very definition of a male. The females, nearly all, burst out in laughter. It was as if this was a comedy club of old more than, well, whatever it was.   
  
It was Mr. Chiba. He escorted a blonde at his side that looked very familiar. She, however, took a seat at the far end of the first table, well out of Usagi's sight. It was then that she realized whom the chair at the head of the table was for.  
  
He made his way to his seat and sat down with a slight sigh. As if a cue, the females around her began to feast on the meal before them. Except for Rei, Setsuna, and Hotaru, who were simply smiling at Mr. Chiba.  
  
"And how are my girls today?" He asked, his attention on the three females, not noticing the blonde just two chairs away. She sighed in relief.  
  
"Good. I beat Setsuna in a race today." The young Hotaru smiled happily.   
  
"I never was good at swimming." Setsuna replied with an awkward smile. Mr. Chiba just laughed at the pair. It seemed that the slightly older Setsuna must bearer of Hotaru, who had to be his daughter.  
  
"What about you Rei?" he asked. He seemed to genuinely care what the females were saying.  
  
"Nothing much. Except that hateful Mr. Gui came by. Of course, he brought us Usagi, so it wasn't to bad," Rei said gesturing to Usagi.  
  
"Ah yes, Usagi." He said, directing his attention to her. She sat up straight, as if prepared for any inspection. "I hope you found your room to your liking."  
  
Usagi nodded her head lightly before speaking. "Yes, Mr. Chiba, sir. It is very pleasant," she said, once again, with her monotone voice.  
  
However, the elusive Mr. Chiba began to laugh. Horror crept into Usagi's bones, although she did not show it outwardly. "Please, Usagi, just call me Mamoru. All the ladies here do."  
  
Usagi simply nodded her head, this time not speaking.  
  
Taking in her silence, Mamoru decided that it was time to introduce the shy rabbit. Standing up and gently tapping his spoon against his glass to gain the attention of the room, Mamoru began his announcement.  
  
"Ladies, as some of you know and some of you have only been informed, I feel that I must introduce you to the newest member of our family." He gestured for Usagi to stand, which she did obediently. "She will be staying in the penthouse," here he had to pause for several catcalls from the other females, "Okay, okay. Anyhow, this is our newest addition, Tsukino Usagi."  
  
Usagi, knowing proper protocol in such a situation, bowed her head lightly. However, her head jerked up quickly as a small scream erupted from one of the other tables.  
  
"USAGI!!" A young voice screamed. The voice sounded in Usagi's head and was very familiar. Turning slowly, Usagi saw the body of the voice rushing around the other table to run up to her.  
  
"Minako?" Usagi whispered, unable to believe her eyes.  
  
~*~ 


	2. Chapter 2

For Sale  
  
Chapter Two  
  
By Chibi J  
  
Rated PG-13  
  
Edited By Lady Artemis  
  
Standard Disclaimers apply because I have a cold and cannot come up with anything witty.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Minako?" Usagi whispered, unable to believe her eyes. Standing before her was her very own sister. A sister that she had assumed she would never see again. Reaching out a hand to touch her face, she whispered softly, "It's you. It's really you."   
  
Tears began to fall from Usagi's eyes as she grabbed her sister into a tight hug. Around the two, many of the females were giving off "awwws" at the beautiful scene.   
  
Taking a step back from her sister, Minako looked over to Mamoru. "May I?" She asked, just above a whisper. Usagi's eyes were obviously confused, but Mamoru simply nodded his head in answer to Minako's question.  
  
Leading Usagi away from the table, Minako took her sister towards the elevator. Once they reached the silence of the greeting room, Usagi could no longer remain silent.  
  
"Minako." She gasped. "How are you here? I mean...you should still have a year left at the training camp. What..."  
  
Cutting her off with a wave of her hand, Minako smiled and began to tell her sister the entire tale. "Usagi, I'm so sorry that you had to go to the training camps. Mamoru came and saved me just a month after you left. He saved us, he saved us all."  
  
"He saved you? Mamoru? How did he save you?" Usagi asked, confusion still clouding her brain.  
  
The elevator doors opened and closed around the two as Minako continued the story. "Usagi, you'll never guess who else is here. But, I'll leave that as a surprise. The truth is, he came looking for you. Something about visions...I'm not completely sure on the details. But you had already left. So, he rescued me. He brought me here to keep me safe."  
  
"Oh Minako!" Usagi gushed and once again enveloped her little sister in a hug. Stepping back, she took a good look at her. "My God Mina...we could really pass for twins now. If I didn't know you I would never guess you to be only 17."  
  
"And no one else does either." Minako said with a smile. "Most think that Mamoru has purchased me." She said as she lifted her leg slightly off the ground, displaying the thin bracelet around her ankle.  
  
"I don't understand." Usagi said in confusion, eyeing the band around her sister's ankle. She didn't have one, but was beginning to assume that she soon would.  
  
Yet her question went unanswered as the bell on the elevator sounded, indicating their arrival at the requested floor. Sub-level 2. She hadn't noticed Minako put in the key to request the private floor, but the thought left her mind as the doors opened.  
  
Stepping out of the elevator to sub-level 2 was unlike anything she would have imagined. It was not like the rest of the building, or at least as far a she had seen so far. It appeared to be one large room, divided up into small, cubicle like areas. As Minako led her through the floor, she noticed that the cubicles held only a bed and a dresser, although sometimes there were several beds and dresses in a slightly larger cubicle.  
  
However, all the cubicles were empty. Yet there was still noise on the floor. Minako continued to lead Usagi forward, until a group of large tables came into sight. Here, among five tables, were the residents of the cubicle bedrooms, or so Usagi assumed. Unfortunately, Minako was not telling anything as she pulled Usagi along.   
  
Minako walked up to a table and spoke to a female that was sitting at the end. Her whispered words were not understandable to Usagi and she again became the victim to her sisters' games. Grabbing her arm again, Minako began to lead her sister down the aisle way towards the end of one of the tables.  
  
"Minako, if you don't tell me..." But Usagi's words died on her lips as she caught sight of two individuals sitting at the table.  
  
Minako's grin couldn't get any bigger as she felt her sister stop dead in her tracks. Knowing that her antics were at an end, she decided to put the icing on the cake.  
  
"Mama! Shingo! I have a surprise for you!" Of course the shout got the two individuals attention. Both their mother and brother turned toward the two and looks of shock and amazement crossed both of their faces.  
  
"USAGI!" they shouted in unison, fighting to free themselves from the chairs at the table and envelope Usagi in a fierce hug.  
  
"Oh my Usa," her mother repeated again and again, tears streaming down her face. Shingo simply held on, afraid that she might leave again.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Usagi spent several hours that night talking with her sister, mother, and brother. They explained how they had come to live under Chiba Mamoru's care and how Shingo and Minako attended school in the building, teaching them both education and the ways of the world, as they should be. As they use to be.  
  
Usagi, in turn, told her family of the training camp she lived in and that she had never lost her hope and spirit. Although her tale had upset both Shingo and Minako, their mother just kept thanking the heavens that her daughter survived and stayed strong.  
  
But as the hour of nine rolled around, Minako broke the news that they should be reporting to their rooms. With promises to see each other the next day, the family shared hugs and kisses until the point that the elevator doors closed around Usagi and Minako.  
  
But now Usagi was nervous. She still didn't have her elevator keys, so Minako had to deliver her to the penthouse. Usagi asked Minako why she thought he wanted her in his suite, but Minako had no response, just a small smile.  
  
With one last hug, the two sisters parted company and Usagi found herself in the greeting room, alone. Quietly removing her shoes, she made her way through the room and to the hallway that led to all the other rooms. She could hear the television in the living room, but secretly hoped that it had just been left on.  
  
Unfortunately, her hopes were not to be. Mamoru had been sitting on the couch watching the television when he heard the elevator ding. He turned in his seat to watch Usagi enter the room. When her shy form finally made it around the corner, he quickly stood and bowed lightly.  
  
Not knowing why a male would bow to her, Usagi quickly copied the gesture. Only she did not pick up her body after a length of time. So it was much to her surprise when Mamoru had appeared before her, lifting her frame to a standing position.  
  
"Usagi, you need not bow to me like that," he instructed her in a friendly matter.   
  
"Yes sir," she replied in a hollow voice, very unlike the one she had been using earlier with her family.  
  
"Usagi," Mamoru started, running a frustrated hand through his dark hair, "ugh, never mind. It's late and it has been a long day. You should go to bed."  
  
Usagi nodded her head and began to make her way down the hall. Feeling his presence behind her, she assumed that she would be requested to join him in his bed. However, before reaching the bedroom door, Mamoru turned off into the bathroom.   
  
A deep sigh escaped Usagi, but her shoulders slumped at the thought of having to go to his bed. However, she was strong and new that no man could destroy her spirit. So, straightening her back, Usagi entered into Mamoru's bedroom. The large room was decorated very simply, yet eloquently at the same time.  
  
Walking over to the large king size bed, Usagi sighed once again. She could and would do this. She would no longer fight the inevitable. After all, this man had rescued her family, it was the least she could do.  
  
Crawling to the center of the bed, Usagi sat crossed legged (still clothed), waiting for Mamoru to enter.  
  
However, time passed and her new owner had still not returned to his bedchamber. Sleep began to consume Usagi's body and she slowly tipped over, falling asleep on one of his many soft pillows.  
  
Mamoru, however, after using the facilities, had returned to his previous activity, watching the news. Once he had digested the rubbish of the world, he turned off the television and had busied himself with office work. It wasn't until the old grandfather clock struck two a.m. that he finally dragged himself to bed.  
  
Surprised would be a mild definition of the shock that overtook Mamoru's face as he found a goddess sleeping on his bed. Usagi, by this time, had stretched out across the bed. Her golden hair was pooled around her and she had a pillow gently cuddled in her arms.  
  
Shaking himself from the heavenly vision, Mamoru made his way to the bed and stole a few pillows from the bed. He didn't want to wake the sleeping angel and opted for sleeping on the couch instead.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Bright sunlight streamed in through a large bedroom window, casting its glow upon a slumbering princess. She, in turn, rolled over and attempted to hide from the sun's glow under a pillow. Yet the sun was determined and heated her body to the point where she became uncomfortably warm.  
  
Rising from the soft pillows, Usagi yawned wide and stretched her arms up towards the ceiling. Momentarily lost, she thought how she had just had the most fantastic sleep she had had in years. But as she turned her neck to the side to stretch, reality crashed down on her.  
  
"Mamoru's room!" she yelped and jumped to a standing position on the bed. However, the soft bed wiggled under her and caused her to crash back down. Looking like a scared animal, Usagi's eyes darted around the room, looking for any sign of the male in question.  
  
Yet the room revealed no secrets. With a sigh, she removed herself from his bed. Quickly straightening the bed, she darted out into the hall and began to search the penthouse for any sign of its owner.  
  
Her search ended in the kitchen where a note was attached to the refrigerator.   
  
"Dear Usagi,  
  
I hope you slept well. Not to be rude, but in the future please sleep in your bed. The couch is uncomfortable and your room is, well, your room.  
  
Rei will be up this morning to get you accustomed to life here. I hope you enjoy your day.  
  
I am sorry that we did not get a chance to talk last night. Hopefully I will be able to explain my actions later this evening.  
  
Mamoru."   
  
He slept on the couch? Was the first thought to cross Usagi's mind upon completion of the note. Her mind was boggled. Why had he not come in and claimed his bed? Why did he not claim me?   
  
She was so lost in her thoughts that she never heard the elevator bell or the approaching footsteps of Rei.  
  
"Boo!" shouted Rei, enticing a scream from Usagi. The blonde fell to the floor in a puddle, gasping for air.  
  
"Gomen, didn't think that I would scare you so bad." Rei giggled at the look of the disoriented Usagi.  
  
"Rei," Usagi gasped, "Please do not ever do that to me again." She pleaded pathetically. Rei calmed her giggles, but still found the entire episode completely entertaining. Perhaps she would try a repeat performance tomorrow.  
  
"Sorry Usagi. I just couldn't pass up on the opportunity," Rei said as she helped to bring the blonde to her feet.  
  
"I'll live," Usagi replied with a slight hint of sarcasm. Inside, however, Usagi wondered if this sort of light banter was allowed. They were acting like friends. Most males would not allow such a thing.  
  
"Well, I'm here to give you your work schedule for today," Rei said while handing over a list to Usagi. "You and Minako will be heading to get some things from the market. Then we all have classes. Chores follow and then dinner."  
  
Usagi looked at Rei in shock. She had planned to spend time with her family, that meant all of them, not just Minako. "But Rei, I wanted to meet with my family."  
  
"I'm sorry Usagi, but everyone here has responsibilities. That includes you and your family. You will have time with them after dinner," Rei said with a slight smile.  
  
"Oh." Usagi responded simply. She really wished that she had been able to talk with her owner last night. Then perhaps thing would be a little less confusing.   
  
"Minako will be up in a half hour. I hope that is enough time for you to get prepared," Rei informed her. However, Usagi only nodded her reply. Rei sighed lightly. This was a definite change for Usagi, but Rei knew that she would get use to it.  
  
"One last thing," Rei began as she reached into her pocket. "Your ankle bracelet." Rei squatted down in front of Usagi and attached the thin chain. It was more like a charm bracelet than anything else. "That should keep you fairly safe."  
  
"Thank you Rei," Usagi said with a slight smile. Usagi was one female that would not be broken and a simple charm bracelet did nothing to spoil her thoughts of better things.  
  
"I'll see you later Usagi," Rei said as she began to exit the room. "Oh!" Rei quickly turned back and threw something through the air. "You'll need these." Usagi caught the flying object and found it to be a set of keys.  
  
"Thanks!" Usagi shouted as she heard Rei entering the elevator doors.  
  
Looking down at the list that Rei had given her, Usagi decided that she had better get started on her day.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Come on Usa! We only have one store left!" Minako said as she practically skipped down the street. All morning the two sisters had been reminiscing over the years past. About the jokes they used to play on their little brother. The trouble the two blondes had caused their mother. The all around fun that they used to have together.  
  
"Minako! Slow down!" Usagi yelled as she ran to catch up. The two shared a laugh before a deep voice stopped them in their tracks.  
  
"Look what we have here boys," a male with a balding head and potbelly said as he stepped out from the side of the building.  
  
"Twins," another male, tall and skinny with gangly teeth, said.  
  
"You know what they say about twins," the last male, who had an average everyday look about him, started. "Double the pleasure, double the fun." (An: is that a subliminal message to go buy double mint gum??) [En. *laughs* That reminds me of this twisted joke with this girl who chews gum and... actually I won't go into that right now... do continue...]  
  
The three males began to circle the two blonde females in a predatory way. Usagi's face went slightly pale, but Minako had a look to her of disgust and familiarity.  
  
"Sorry sirs. We are already another male's property," Minako said with a light and obedient tone. She had a look of experience with this sort of issue. Grabbing her sister's hand, she made to leave the circle that the males had made around them.  
  
"Aww...boys, she's sorry. Guess that means that she really wants to be our," the balding male said with a greasy grin. He reached out a hand and ran it down Minako's arm.  
  
Jumping with disgust, Minako again addressed the males. "I'm sorry good sirs, but our duties bid us be elsewhere. We will now be on our way."   
  
Usagi nodded with agreement and moved to take a step forward. However, the tall, skinny male was standing right in front of her. "No need to rush," he said with a smirk. Usagi recoiled in disgust. His breath smelled horribly of stale alcohol and peanuts.   
  
By this point, Minako's face was ashen as the balding male had both of his hands on her body. Usagi was flaming though.   
  
"You will unhand my sister now," she demanded. The males laughed.  
  
"Well now, this one has a bit of a bite to her. I like that," the tall male said as he wrapped his arms around her. He was attempting to bring his mouth to hers when Usagi pulled her knee up to meet his groin.  
  
"Damn!" the tall male screamed as he fell to the ground.  
  
"That'll be quite enough of this," the male with the average look said. Until now, he had merely been standing there with his companions. "Enter in." The average looking male said into a small walkie-talkie that had been hidden up his coat sleeve.  
  
Within seconds five males dressed in officer uniforms jumped out from, well, everywhere. The males that had been harassing Usagi and Minako were quickly cuffed. Usagi allowed a sigh of release to escape her body as a slight smile covered her face.  
  
"I would be so happy if I were you missy," the average looking male, who now donned an officer's badge, said as he took out a pair of cuffs with a collar.  
  
"What?" Usagi questioned as the officer approached her "We have been trying to nab them for harassment for weeks. However, you are under arrest for misconduct." The officer said as he placed the handcuffs on Usagi. He then continued by reaching for the collar and placing it around Usagi's neck.  
  
"No! Wait! Please don't take my sister!" Minako pleaded with the officer as he hauled Usagi off to an awaiting car.  
  
"You would be quick to bite your tongue female. Or perhaps you would like to join her," the officer snapped. Usagi, however, would not allow her sister to be caught for a crime she didn't commit.  
  
"Go home Minako. Tell Rei and get me help," Usagi shouted to her sister as she was pushed into the car. Minako nodded and ran away, trying to get to the estate as quickly as possible.  
  
"You don't know when to shut your mouth, do you?" the officer questioned her with a glint in his eyes. "Well then, I'll just have to shut it for you," he said as he reached into the front seat and picked up a roll of duct tape. Pulling off several pieces, he covered her mouth fully.  
  
Chained, collared, and duct taped, Usagi stared out of the window as the officer drove her to the station.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Seems like a good place to stop. *ducks* hey! Watch it! I paid for that furniture! 


	3. Chapter 3

For Sale  
  
Chapter 3  
  
By Chibi J  
  
Edited by Sailor Sista  
  
Rated PG-13  
  
I am the lap dog in Empry's harem. I'm not even worthy enough to be a wife. I fetch her slippers for a living. Do you honestly think that I could own Sailor Moon's characters??  
  
EN: *snickers* sure, why not?  
  
This is dedicated to everyone who was so kind to review my stories. This has gotten a large response and I hope that I don't disappoint any of you.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The cell was small and cold. There was no bench, no toilet, no bed, nothing. Just a cement floor, iron bars, and a brick wall; Usagi knew animals that had received better treatment. But to these males, the blonde creature in the cell was just as bad as any wild animal. She was not properly trained to know her place in life. That much was certain.  
  
Minako had quickly returned to Chiba Estates and told Rei what had happened. Unfortunately, Mamoru had been in an important meeting and the secretary refused to get him. And although Rei had the funds available to bail out Usagi, there was no way that any officer would release her to another female.  
  
So it wasn't until five in the evening, seven hours after her arrest, that Mamoru was finally able to arrive at the station. The officer at the desk basically laughed at Mamoru and his inability to train his female properly. Being the person that he was, Mamoru just nodded his head and accepted the criticism. His only true concern was freeing Usagi.  
  
With a grunt at the male who was obviously not taking any notice of his words, the officer led him towards the cell.  
  
"She's quite a feisty one. She was kickin' and screamin' while we tried to chain her up. Don't know why you ain't taught her her place." The chubby officer said.  
  
"I'll be sure to remember that Officer Jones." Mamoru said for what seemed to be the fifth time. He was starting to get tired of hearing of her lack of training. Five years in a training center was enough. The poor girl didn't need anymore training in his opinion.  
  
"I'm just sayin' ya ought ta be careful that she don't run away or nuthin." Officer Jones continued as he opened the door to the back cells, where the females were kept.   
  
As Mamoru entered the back area, his heart immediately shattered at the site before him. Usagi was stripped bare of her clothes. She still wore the cuffs around her wrists and the collar around her neck. Her chain was attached to the wall with less than six feet of chain. Duct tape covered her mouth and was sticking partially to her hair.  
  
Huddled in a small ball in the corner, her skin was pale, and she was shivering. Her arms were wrapped partially around her legs, the best she could with the chains on. Her head was tucked up in her legs in an attempt to keep anyone from seeing her face and the tearstains that ran down her cheeks.  
  
The officer opened the cell door and stepped in to unchain Usagi from the wall. Mamoru stood stiffly in his place, refusing to let his body react to the scene in front of him. For surely he would be placed in prison if he were to act out the vengeance he wished to seek for Usagi's mistreatment.  
  
"Hey!" The officer slightly kicked Usagi in the leg to rouse her. "Mr. Chiba's here ta pick ya up. Ya ought to be grateful."  
  
Usagi stood slowly, refusing to lift her head. She walked as Officer Jones pulled her chain towards Mamoru. "The chains are on the bureau. Here's the keys. Do us all a favor an' keep her locked up til ya get her home." Jones said as he handed Mamoru Usagi's chain and the set of keys.  
  
Mamoru nodded his head, afraid that his voice would crack if he attempted to speak. Trying his best to look the dominant male, Mamoru walked back through the station and out to the car holding onto Usagi's chain.  
  
Mamoru opened the car door for Usagi and got in after her. With a quick signal to the driver, they headed on their way towards the estate. With quick speed, Mamoru removed the chains and collar and carefully removed the duct tape from her mouth. Desperate to hold the poor, scared bunny in front of him, he immediately wrapped her up in his arms.  
  
"I'm so sorry Usagi. I'm so sorry." Mamoru mumbled into her ear several times, with no response from her at all. After a few moments, he let go of her and let her simply sit beside him. She was making no attempt to speak, nor raise her head. She was still trembling and Mamoru removed his trench coat in an effort to shield her from the cold and her own shyness.  
  
The trip from the station to the estate was only fifteen minutes, but it seemed more like hours to Mamoru who simply wanted to get Usagi home and safe. Their arrival at the estate was met by several females, including Minako and Rei.  
  
Minako desperately wanted to run to her sister and never let her go. Yet she was so shocked by her appearance that she turned away to cry into Rei's shoulder. The dark haired female tried to comfort her, but found that she herself wanted to curl up and cry.  
  
Never had an angel looked as if she had fallen so far from heaven.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Upon entering the penthouse, Usagi quickly made her way to her bedroom. The door closed behind her and the sound of the lock being turned echoed throughout the hall. For two days she did not leave her room, nor did her door ever open. Meals were left at the foot of the door, but she never took them. For two days, she did not eat or drink. She never even left her room for the bathroom, a feat not easily accomplished.  
  
Mamoru had been extremely worried and refused to leave the building, lest Usagi do something drastic. He called off work and had sat on the floor in the hall for most of the time. Minako and Rei had both tried to gain entrance to the room, but failed at acquiring access. In the evening of the second day, Ikuko spoke to her daughter through the door.  
  
To the delight of all, Usagi had let her mother in. Although Rei had insisted that it was a breech of her privacy, Minako tried to listen to the conversation through the door. Much to her dismay, both females were speaking in whispered hushes.  
  
After three hours, Ikuko opened the door slightly and requested some food. Quick to action, Mamoru ran to the kitchen to prepare something as fast as possible. Upon his return to the door, he handed over the tray and noticed the tear streaks staining Ikuko's face. But before he could ask, she quickly closed the door again.  
  
Two hours later, Ikuko emerged from the room, a worn look upon her face. "She's asleep, I suggest you all do the same." She then left the penthouse, refusing to answer any questions.  
  
Minako followed her mother, trying desperately to find out what was wrong, but her mother only responded with, "You will find out when she is ready to tell you."   
  
Not one to disobey a mother's orders, even if it wasn't his, Mamoru insisted that Rei return to her apartment before retiring to his bedroom.  
  
~*~*~  
  
The next morning, Mamoru stirred from his sleep to the smell of sausages being cooked in the kitchen. Walking past Usagi's room, he gave a sigh when he saw that the door was still closed.  
  
With peeked curiosity, he made his way to the kitchen and was completely surprised to find that it was Usagi who was cooking. Even more surprising, she was dancing around the kitchen with a set of headphones on her ears.  
  
Not wanting to startle her Mamoru attempted several times to clear his throat, to gain her attention. Failing, he tapped her lightly on the shoulder. She spun around quickly, putting up her fork as a weapon.  
  
"Oh, Mr. Chiba, you startled me." Usagi said with a sigh of relief, lowering the fork to her side.  
  
"Usagi, I'm glad to see you up." Mamoru said with a tone of caution, wondering why she had reverted back to calling him Mr. Chiba.  
  
"Well, Mother and I talked last night and I realized that I was acting silly. There is too much to be done around here for me to just stay in my bedroom for the rest of my life." She said in a chipper tone.  
  
Mamoru looked her over a couple of times, trying to make sure that she was really okay. She appeared normal, but something still seemed strange to him.  
  
"Well, I'm going to go to work today then, if you are sure that you will be okay." Mamoru said, still debating in his head what was wrong with her.  
  
"Of course Mr. Chiba. I'm sorry that my poor behavior resulted in you losing time away from your busy schedule." Usagi said with a light smile as she took the sausages off the stove and piled them onto a plate for Mamoru.  
  
Usagi walked over to the table and sat the plate at his seat and stepped over to the side. Not wanting to disappoint her, Mamoru sat down and began to eat. When he realized that she wasn't eating as well, he asked her to join him.  
  
Refusing with a light shake of her head, Mamoru realized what was going on with Usagi; she was acting as a servant. She was doing all this because she was taking on the role that most females have beaten into them.   
  
Quite disappointed with the change in Usagi, Mamoru finished eating and left for work. Time away would give him the opportunity to think of a way to get Usagi back to normal.  
  
~*~*~  
  
However, after three weeks, Usagi was not showing any signs of returning back to her normal self. She refused to call him Mamoru, insisting that she call him Mr. Chiba. During the day she was seemingly happy, constantly working around the estate, but there was something lacking in her spirit.  
  
Everyone who worked with Usagi was full of praise and tried to keep the petite blonde in good spirits. Constant attempts were made to get Usagi to 'goof around' or 'have fun', but she would turn down their attempts by saying that it wasn't appropriate.  
  
Mamoru would often try to have conversations with Usagi, but she would often refuse, stating that some job needed to be done. Several nights he would stand outside her door and hear her crying. He wanted to rush in and dry her tears, but he knew that she would come to him when she was ready, or so he hoped.  
  
The time did come, although Usagi didn't plan to let it happen. She had been living at the estate for a month when her problem came out into the open.  
  
Sleeping peacefully in his bedroom, Mamoru tossed in his sleep when a weak noise was heard through the penthouse. Moments later, a scream, albeit a mild one, caused Mamoru to open his eyes. He wasn't sure what he was hearing and thought that he was imagining things.  
  
But when a heart-wrenching "NO! DON'T!" was yelled, it echoed through the walls causing Mamoru to bolt from his bed.   
  
Rushing to Usagi's room, the obvious cause of the screaming, he barged in, refusing to take the time to knock. His entrance, however, was unnoticed by the blonde female. Usagi was thrashing back and forth on the bed, but her arms were above her head, as if pinned there by some force.  
  
Mamoru quickly seated himself on the side of her bed and tried to rouse the upset female. Usagi thrashed about, still screaming out various requests to cease whatever was occurring in the dream, when her eyes flew open. Her arms attempted to strike out at Mamoru, but he quickly grabbed them and attempted to hold her in his arms.  
  
"Usagi, Usagi, it's me, Mamoru." He pleaded with her over and over again. Finally her eyes widened and she took in her location. She then looked up to Mamoru with a look of horror on her face.  
  
"Mr. Chiba!" Usagi gasped as she jumped out of his grasp. "I'm so sorry, please don't punish me." She pleaded as she got down into an almost bowing position, still on the bed.  
  
Mamoru was stunned to say the least. Confusion was flooding his system and he didn't know how to react, except to ensure her that he would cause her no harm.  
  
"Usagi, please, sit up. I'm not going to hurt you." Mamoru requested, reaching out a gentle hand to her. He was saddened when she backed away from his hand, but happy that she was now sitting up and looking at him.  
  
"Mr. Chiba, I am sorry to have disturbed your sleep." She again apologized, this time with much less fear in her voice.  
  
"Please, Usagi, talk to me. Tell me what is the matter so I can help you." Mamoru begged. He knew that only one person knew the secret that Usagi held. Ikuko had repetitively refused to tell what had happened, knowing that Usagi would share when she was ready.  
  
"Mr. Chiba, I, I just can't." Usagi said as tears slowly began to flow down her cheeks. Mamoru reached out to move the tears off her face and this time, she allowed him to make contact with her.  
  
The gentle gesture was Usagi's undoing. She virtually leapt through the air in an attempt to gain access to the male in front of her. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and began to sob incessantly. Mamoru simply put his arms around her, allowing her to cry her heart out.  
  
When she began to speak, he listened, not making any intrusion into her story.   
  
~*~*~ Flash~*~*~  
  
"Get in there you wench!" The officer yelled as he threw Usagi into the cell. It was damp and ugly and she wished to be anywhere but where she was. The duct tape was stuck securely on her mouth and any protests she attempted to make came out in a mangled mumble.  
  
"What's the matter girlie, don't want to be here?" The officer asked in a sarcastic voice. Unsure whether he wanted an answer or not, Usagi just sat where she was thrown.   
  
That was her first mistake.  
  
The officer reached down and grabbed a fistful of Usagi's long hair into his hand and jerked her up to a standing position. "You answer me when I ask a question!" He shouted at her.   
  
Slight tears were sneaking out of the corner of her eyes from the pain of her hair being pulled. She shook her head yes to acknowledge him.  
  
"Ah, so you do want to be in here." He said with a slight smirk. He had taken her response to answer his previous question. "I'm glad you don't mind being locked up in here." He replied a little too sweetly as he pulled Usagi's neck chain and attached her to the wall.  
  
Having been stripped of her clothes, Usagi attempted to cover as much of herself as possible with her arms. Although many males had seen her, this male disgusted her. She hoped that he would soon leave her be so that she could just wait for Mamoru to show up.  
  
Yet hopes can so easily be dashed by the evilness of a person. The officer left Usagi, but returned quickly with another male in an officer's uniform. He had more chains in his hand and Usagi was immediately concerned. Her fear shone in her eyes, much to the enjoyment of the two men.  
  
"Aw, look Bob, she's scared." The first officer said with a smile to his friend.  
  
"That's just so sweet. I almost think that I can't do this Joe." The other male replied. Both had a look of humor on their face.  
  
It was like watching a play. The rehearsed lines were exaggerated to the point that Usagi thought that she might become nauseas just from listening to them talk.  
  
"Almost?" Joe questioned. The two males took several steps towards the fearful female.  
  
"Almost." Bob replied as he snapped the extra chain to the chains holding her arms. He then reached up and placed the chain on the same hook as her neck collar. Her arms were now suspended above her head, leaving no ability to shield her body from the two males.  
  
"You were right Joe, she is quite the specimen." Bob said as he raised a hand to cup her breast. Usagi squealed and tried to thrash out of his grasp, only to be pushed up against the wall by both Bob and Joe.  
  
Usagi continued to thrash about in an attempt to remove the males from her body. She screamed out, only to have the men laugh at her muffled attempts.  
  
For nearly an hour the two men continued to touch over Usagi's body. Although her virginity was not taken, she suffered all the same. One male would slip fingers in areas she had rather not think of while the other crushed her breasts in his hand. She was forced to watch both of them masturbate as they took enjoyment in her body. Tears streamed down her face in rivers as she felt a tongue licking across her abdomen.   
  
The two finished with sighs of contentment and the lighting of a cigarette. Usagi, with her arms still strung above her head, cried freely. She felt a surge of relief that the two had finally let her be.  
  
So it was from fear and determination that she kicked out at the next two males to walk into her cell. It was obvious from the moment that they opened the door as to what they wanted.   
  
The torture continued three more times. A total of ten males in all had taken part in the beautiful young blonde that was held in the jail cell. It was obvious that these males were given directions not to make any contact that would be evident. None had allowed their manhood to enter her, although several had taken the pleasure of rubbing up against her.  
  
By the time that Mamoru had come to pick up Usagi, the cell had been cleaned and Usagi's arms released from the chain. Her tears, completely drained from her eyes, had dried on her cheeks. Her spirit had left her. And Mamoru had found her huddled in the corner of the cell upon his arrival.  
  
~*~*~Flash~*~*~  
  
Immediate anger surged throughout Mamoru. He desperately wanted to rip off the heads of the males that dared to treat this beautiful treasure in such a way. For years he had listen to her family describe her as the personification of light. How dare these males attempt to snub out that light.  
  
Usagi's whimpers had brought Mamoru back to his senses. He needed to help her first before revenge could be sought out.  
  
Gently stroking the back of her head, Mamoru began to whisper sweetly to Usagi. "It's not your fault. None of that was your fault."   
  
Her sobs began to slow as his reassurances continued. "I promise that will never happen again. You are safe here. You are safe with me."  
  
Mamoru's profession startled her. She backed out of his arms and saw something that she thought she would never see from a male, love. She knew in that moment that what he said was true. He would keep her safe.  
  
A light smile graced Usagi's features. "Thank you, Mamoru." She whispered softly before throwing herself back into his arms. Although she was still mortified by her experience, still fearful that the males would come after her again, and still confident that it was her fault, Usagi sought comfort from Mamoru. He didn't blame her or want to get rid of her. She was safe with him.  
  
Mamoru felt her relax her muscles and was grateful that she was comfortable with him once again. He began rubbing her back and quietly laughed a few minutes later when he heard her gentle snores. After lowering her to the bed, Mamoru moved to leave the room. However, her hand snaked out and grabbed him before he was able to leave the bed.  
  
"Please don't leave me Mamoru. I'm scared." Usagi whispered in her sleep. Unable to protest against the sleeping angel, Mamoru laid down next to her in the bed and wrapped an arm around her.  
  
As she gently snuggled into his embrace, Mamoru found himself unable to sleep. Closing his eyes, his thoughts were running over various ways to make the males at the station suffer. He finally floated to sleep with the image of several males with sacks over their heads dangling from ropes.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
No cliffhanger this time. I couldn't do it. I put to much energy into this chapter already.  
  
Please review. 


	4. Chapter 4

For Sale  
  
Chapter 4  
  
  
  
By Chibi J  
  
Edited By Sailor Sista and Lady Artemis  
  
  
  
Rated PG-13  
  
  
  
Don't own. Never will. Please don't sue.  
  
  
  
I've never felt very affected by something that I have written before. Until now. What started this story in my head will remain a mystery to me even, but where it will end, we shall all find out together.  
  
  
  
Thank you for all the reviews. I appreciate you taking the time to read this story.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
Sunlight filtered in through a pair of white blinds covering the large window in Usagi's room, warming the couple that lay sleeping on the bed.  
  
  
  
At some point during the night, Mamoru had wrapped his arms around Usagi. She, in turn, snuggled closer into his embrace. The two seemed very comfortable and probably could have easily slept on until noon.  
  
  
  
Unfortunately for them, they wouldn't get that chance.  
  
  
  
"I don't think we should do this Rei," Minako whispered to the dark haired female beside her.  
  
  
  
"Relax Minako. We're just checking on them," Rei replied quietly as she walked through the hall of the penthouse. "I mean if I didn't show up for breakfast, I hope you would check on me."  
  
  
  
Minako nodded her head in agreement. "Still," Minako started again, "We could have at least attempted to call them first."  
  
  
  
Rei shrugged her shoulders. In her mind, this was much more fun. After all, she seldom got to make fun of her nearly perfect older brother.  
  
  
  
"Let's get Usagi first. She can help us tease Mamoru," Rei suggested. Minako agreed, hoping that her sister would come out of the depression she had been in since she was arrested.   
  
  
  
Knocking quietly, but not waiting for a response, Minako opened the door to Usagi's room. With a quick gasp, she jumped back from the doorway and quickly closed the door.  
  
  
  
"What?!?" Rei asked, startled by the blonde's behavior. "What did you see?"  
  
  
  
Minako covered her mouth, trying to stifle her giggles. This immediately relieved Rei's fear of a suicide.  
  
  
  
"Gomen Rei, you just have to see this for yourself." Minako said, still laughing quietly.  
  
  
  
Minako stepped out of the way, allowing Rei full access to the door. Although she opened it slowly, she did not quickly close it as Minako had. Instead, she stood there and let a silly grin cover her face.  
  
  
  
Minako gasped as Rei took a quiet step forward. "Rei!" Minako hissed. Yet Rei took another step forward. Minako again tried to gain Rei's attention, but it was too late.  
  
  
  
With two large steps and a giant leap, Rei jumped onto the bed, smack dab on top of her brother.  
  
  
  
"AAAAHHHHH!" screamed the two bodies that had been previously soundly sleeping.   
  
  
  
"Morning Usagi and Mamoru!" Rei yelled into their ears, which were still close to each other, as they were still in each other's arms.  
  
  
  
Minako still stood at the doorway, a blush covering her cheeks and a hand covering her mouth.  
  
  
  
"What's going on?" Usagi asked, uncertainty evident on her face. Being startled awake from her best nights sleep in over a month really left her confused.   
  
  
  
"Rei..." Mamoru growled at his sister. Noticing the look on his face, she jumped from the bed, Mamoru glaring menacingly at the trail of dust that she had left.   
  
"I'll just be going now," Minako said with a small smile as she reached for the knob of the door. As the door clicked shut, Mamoru turned to Usagi, slightly loosening his grasp on her.  
  
  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice just above a whisper. She still seemed slightly puzzled, but what happened next left him the confused one.  
  
  
  
She started laughing.  
  
  
  
Not just a light laughing either. It wasn't a "gee that was funny" laugh, but a stomach clenching, breathe stopping, "going-to-turn-blue-cause-I-can't-stop-laughing" laughing.   
  
"Usagi?"  
  
  
  
"Gomen, that was just so funny!" she said, trying to gain control over her laughter. "You should have seen your face!"  
  
  
  
"My face? You were the one who looked completely lost!" Mamoru argued back, a smile spreading across his face.  
  
  
  
"Oh yeah?" An evil glint crossed Usagi's face. She quickly removed herself fully from his arms and grabbed her pillow.  
  
  
  
Thus the first ever "Mamoru and Usagi Pillow War" began.  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
Living in a building that contains more females than males causes rumors to spread quickly. And, as always, the rumor can never stay the same.  
  
  
  
What had started as Rei telling Makoto what she saw and her possible death caused by Mamoru had changed into Mamoru and Usagi sleeping together, to Usagi carrying Mamoru's baby. Of course, the rumor about the baby would explain while Usagi had been in a strange mood.  
  
  
  
After having lunch and attempting to extinguish some of the rumors, Usagi and Mamoru decided to retire back to the Penthouse. For some time, the two just sat in a comfortable silence on the balcony, watching the city below them. But for the first time in weeks, Usagi was feeling better. Just then, she realized that she knew nothing about her new owner.  
  
  
  
"Mamoru?"   
  
  
  
"Yeah Usagi?"  
  
  
  
"Why do you do this?" she asked, unable to make full eye contact.  
  
  
  
"Usagi?" he said, pronouncing her name in a tone that requested an explanation.  
  
  
  
"Why do you do this? All this?" she said, bringing her eyes up to meet his. "Why do you help so many females? How can you help so many?"  
  
  
  
Mamoru looked down to his lap where his hands were clenched unconsciously. Sensing his mood, Usagi decided that her curiosity could wait. "Don't worry. You don't have to tell me."  
  
  
  
Silence reigned over the two. The sun was lowering in the sky, although it would still be some time before it set.  
  
  
  
Still starring out onto the city, Mamoru began to speak.  
  
  
  
~*~Flash~*~  
  
  
  
"Mom!" yelled a young Mamoru, only thirteen years old, from the top of the stairs.   
  
  
  
"Mamoru, I'm going to be late for work," his mother protested. She knew that her only son was concerned about her safety. With the aggression that was going on worldwide, she didn't blame him. But the violence hadn't traveled too close to home yet, so she was still insisting on working.  
  
  
  
"Mom, please be careful," Mamoru said as he ran down the stairs to give his mom a hug.  
  
  
  
"I will dear. Now I have to go or my patients will get antsy," she said with a smile. "Tell your sisters tat I will be home around 5:00pm. Your father will probably be home a bit after that."  
  
  
  
"I will," Mamoru replied as his mother walked out the door.  
  
  
  
~*~Flash~*~  
  
  
  
"She didn't come home that night. Neither did my father. The first attack on this city was on the hospital where they both worked." Mamoru took a break from his story, slowly wiping the tears from the corner of his eye.  
  
  
  
"My sisters and I sat at the dinner table until 7:00pm that night. She was over two hours late and I was scared.   
  
  
  
"At 8:00 the old lady next door came over with tears in her eyes. She had known that my mom and dad weren't home when she saw the cars gone and us sitting at the table without them. She had to break the news to us.  
  
  
  
"The report was that the male protest group bombed the hospital because they would likely be sympathetic and willing to treat injured females."  
  
  
  
Here he paused and looked over to his audience of one. Usagi had sat the entire time, simply starring out into nothing. Tears streaked down her face, yet she did nothing to wipe them away.  
  
  
  
"Usagi?" Mamoru asked concerned.  
  
  
  
"My father was killed when I was five. No reason why, except that he was male," she answered quietly.  
  
  
  
"I know," Mamoru simply replied.   
  
  
  
A quiet calm settled over the couple as they watched the sun set behind the city. Without a sound, Mamoru stood up and walked over to Usagi. A look of peacefulness was shinning on her face. As Mamoru placed a hand on her shoulder, she let out a gentle sigh.  
  
  
  
Without a word, she stood and the two walked into the living room. The clock on the television showed that it was already almost nine o'clock. Although neither had eaten dinner, neither made any move to do anything except to stay in the other's company.  
  
  
  
Moving without pause, the couple walked down the hall and into Mamoru's bedroom. Lying beside each other, Mamoru and Usagi wrapped each other in their arms. With a few tears, the two fell asleep.  
  
  
  
~*~Dream~*~  
  
  
  
Army tanks were driving down the streets of a once peaceful city. Once large and beautiful buildings were knocked down in size or smoking deep black clouds into the air. Trees that had covered the parks were knocked down and once blue ponds were turning various shades of brown.  
  
  
  
War had come and it didn't come with happy tidings. One of the few cities worldwide that wanted nothing to do with the war, Tokyo was now covered with the battles between men and women.  
  
  
  
Innocent children wept over the bodies of their dead parents. Animals starved to death as their owners never returned home. Babies cried at all hours of the night as the bombs sounded in the air.  
  
  
  
Those who were brave tried to protest the war, but neither the men nor women responsible for the attacks were willing to listen. Those who tried to stop the movement of soldiers were seen as the enemy and treated as such. If they were lucky, they were immediately shot. If not, they were treated as badly, if not worse, as the Jews had been in while in concentration camps at the time of Hitler.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
Male soldiers went from door to door. Names were taken and documented into the official records. Women of appropriate age were torn from their families in order to go to camps to retrain them. Some mothers, those that didn't pose a "threat" to the males, were allowed to raise their children, especially if they had sons. Yet other families were torn apart, especially if there were no men in the household.  
  
  
  
On opposite sides of town, yet at the exact same time, a knocking came upon two households.  
  
  
  
(Mamoru's Dream)  
  
  
  
"I am seeking the man of the house," a soldier in a gray uniform and a clipboard demanded in a stern voice.   
  
  
  
"There no longer is an adult man in this house," Ikuko, with a young Shingo of three on her hip, responded.  
  
  
  
"I'm the man," the little boy responded, causing a laugh from the soldier.  
  
  
  
"I'm sure you are." He then turned from Shingo to face Ikuko again. "What party do you belong to?"  
  
  
  
"I belong to no party. My husband and I remained as neutral as possible throughout the war. Yet he was shot." Feeling her voice begin to rise, Ikuko took a deep breath to regain control. "All I want is to raise my children as their father would have wanted."  
  
  
  
"Well answered." The officer gave a nod of his head. "Names of your children and their ages."  
  
  
  
Waiting for the officer to ready his pen, Ikuko responded. "Usagi, 8. Minako, 7. Shingo, 3."  
  
  
  
"Thank you. For the time, your family may remain here. Do not take advantage of this situation." The officer nodded his head briefly; more out of respect for the way his mother raised him, and then turned and left.  
  
  
  
Ikuko stepped back from the door and closed it before collapsing to the ground. The two blonde girls who had been listening from around the corner ran to their mother.  
  
  
  
"Mama, are you alright?" a young Usagi asked, worry evident in her voice.  
  
  
  
Ikuko looked up at her girls and gave a sigh of relief. "I am for now."   
  
  
  
  
  
(Usagi's Dream)  
  
  
  
"I am seeking the man of the house," a soldier in a gray uniform and a clipboard demanded in a stern voice.  
  
  
  
"I am the man of this house," a young man, only 16 years old, responded.  
  
  
  
"Where are your parents?" the officer asked, his curiosity overwhelming.  
  
  
  
"They died at the start of the attacks. They worked at the hospital," Mamoru responded, refusing to allow his emotions to take over.  
  
  
  
The officer nodded his head and made a note on his clipboard. "My papers indicate that you have two sisters. What of them?"  
  
  
  
"Both have died as well. My eldest died two years ago trying to give birth to a child she was left with when raped. My younger sister died in an attack on her all-girls school. You may check the records," Mamoru said in an empty voice.  
  
  
  
The officer again nodded his head. He remembered the attack of the all-girls school; he had been part of the assault. As for the elder sister, the rape was most likely true and with the lack of medical facilities, it would be expected that she not survive.  
  
  
  
"All right then. Thank you," the officer replied and turned to leave.  
  
  
  
Mamoru shut the door and dropped to the floor, his energy spent from holding up the façade.  
  
  
  
"Mamoru, is everything okay?" a tall girl of 19 with a two-year-old girl on her hip asked. Beside her stood a young girl of eight.  
  
  
  
Mamoru looked up to his sisters and gave a sigh of relief. "It is for now."  
  
  
  
~*~End Dream~*~  
  
  
  
Opening their eyes slowly, both Mamoru and Usagi found themselves staring into the eyes of the other.  
  
  
  
"It was just a dream?" Usagi asked hazily. She shifted slightly, finding herself once again tangled in Mamoru's arms.  
  
  
  
"Was it?" Mamoru asked, unsure of what had happened.  
  
  
  
"It... I don't know." Dropping her eyes in thought, a realization occurred. "You have two sisters."  
  
  
  
Mamoru looked at Usagi strangely. Most knew that he had two sisters. "Yes," he said, nodding his head slowly.  
  
  
  
"I didn't know you had an older sister. I thought it was just you and Rei. But last night you said "sisters" and...." Usagi trailed off, thinking of the dream she had.   
  
  
  
"And?"   
  
  
  
"And she has a baby. You lied to protect her and Rei," Usagi finished, looking deep into Mamoru's eyes for the truth.  
  
  
  
"Yes. I lied. I refused to watch her be hauled off to some camp. They would have likely killed her baby, her little girl. My niece." Mamoru felt light tears coming to the back of his eyes at the memory. It had been difficult at best to feed and care for his sisters and niece when people believed that he was the only one in the house.   
  
  
  
"You know them both," Mamoru said with a slight smile playing on his lips. It was amusing to him that she had never noticed the family resemblance. The hair color alone should have given away who his sister was.  
  
  
  
"I do?" Usagi closed her eyes, trying desperately to think back to the dream. Rei's face was clear, yet the older sister was cloudy. But a small face with bright cheeks shined out at her. "Oh my god! I can't believe I'm so dumb."  
  
  
  
"I'd agree, but I'm sure that you would smack me," Mamoru gave a laugh and tried to dodge as a hand did come up and hit him lightly on the shoulder.  
  
  
  
"You know, I never thought about it. Setsuna and Hotaru," Usagi said, shaking her head slightly in disbelief. "When I first met them, I..." Usagi cut herself off, blushing.  
  
  
  
"You what?"  
  
  
  
"I thought that she was your mistress and daughter." Usagi's blush got slightly deeper as Mamoru's laughter filled the room. "Well, Hotaru does look a lot like you. And, well, I suppose I just didn't look close enough at Setsuna."  
  
  
  
"Give it a try. Rei looks just like Sets did when she was 18. I wouldn't doubt that in ten years that you won't be able to tell them apart," Mamoru said with a large smile and dreaming eyes. He was very proud of his sisters and all they had struggled through to survive.   
  
  
  
"I think I know what you mean," Usagi replied, thinking of Minako and all of the times they had tried to trick people into believing they were each other.  
  
  
  
A quiet peace settled over the bedroom as Mamoru and Usagi both reminisced about their families. During the horrid times of the war, family was all that anyone could rely on. And both had come from very strong and caring families.  
  
  
  
"Well," Mamoru began, finally deciding to break the peace, "I suppose we ought to rise and shine before more rumors start circulating."  
  
  
  
Usagi smiled as they pulled out of each other's arms. Making her way to the door to head towards her room, Usagi turned to Mamoru. "Thank you Mamoru, for everything."  
  
  
  
Mamoru nodded his head in understanding. "Your welcome. And thank you too."  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
"Whistle while you work. Thwusp tswp shpt."  
  
  
  
"Usagi." Minako rolled her eyes.  
  
  
  
"Okay, so I can't whistle. Give me a different song." Usagi giggled as she continued to clear the breakfast table.  
  
  
  
"No!" Minako yelled. Usagi's time with Mamoru had not only made her feel better, it had made her chipper again. Usagi was back to her old self, which could possibly drive a person insane.  
  
  
  
"But Minako," Usagi whined. She always loved to pick on her sister. After five years away from her, she had lots of catching up to do. Being the bigger sister does have its advantages.  
  
  
  
"No!" Minako tried again. But inside, she knew that it didn't matter. When Usagi was in a good mood, there was no stopping her.  
  
  
  
"Fine. Let's see." Usagi tapped her finger on her lower lip in contemplation. "I got it! The hills are alive, with the Sound of Music!" She sang terribly off key.  
  
  
  
Not able to take anymore of her goofiness, Minako threw a wash clothe at her. Causing Usagi to throw it back. Causing Minako to make a mad dash. Causing Usagi to chase her. Causing both to trip over their own feet and land in a pile of laughter.  
  
  
  
Unfortunately, their laughter didn't cover over the snide comment that a red head on the other side of the room made to another female. "Someone woke up on the right side of the bed."  
  
  
  
"You think so?" The other female snickered. Juicy gossip was the best kind.  
  
  
  
"Perhaps it wasn't the side of the bed, but who the bed belonged to." The red head giggled. "I know I felt good the morning I rose from that bed." With that said, the two females walked off laughing.  
  
  
  
Usagi and Minako's laughter died down to an uncomfortable silence. Not wanting to ask, but desperate to know, Minako asked, "Usagi, did you and Mamoru...."  
  
  
  
"No. Nothing," Usagi replied, not needing to hear the entire question. "We just talked. I mean, yeah, we slept next to each other, but not more than that."  
  
  
  
Minako breathed a sigh of relief. Although she liked Mamoru and her sister was old enough to make her own decisions, she didn't want to see Usagi do something without thinking it through.  
  
  
  
"Minako," Usagi began, her eyes looking at the spot where the two females had been standing, "You don't think that he...."  
  
  
  
"No. Definitely not," Minako answered. "There is no way that Mamoru would do anything with that trash."  
  
  
  
Usagi nodded her head and let the conversation drop. The two sisters picked themselves up from the ground and continued cleaning up from breakfast. But in the back of her head, a little annoying voice with red hair kept on bragging.  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
Usagi sat in the living room flipping through channels that night when Mamoru returned from work. After missing two days in a row, he was in desperate need to get to the office. Yet with all his work, he decided that he would get home early.  
  
  
  
"Hey. I'm home," Mamoru said with a cheery voice as he entered the living room.  
  
  
  
"Hey," Usagi replied less than half-heartedly as she continued to flip the channels.  
  
  
  
Concern immediately flooded Mamoru. Although she wasn't depressed, which he was grateful, he felt another emotion coming from her, anger.  
  
  
  
"How was your day?" he asked carefully.  
  
  
  
"Fine."  
  
  
  
"Anything you want to talk about?" He was trying to get more than a one-syllable answer from her, yet it didn't seem that he would be successful.  
  
  
  
"Nope."  
  
  
  
"Are you sure?" Now he was pushing it, he knew it too. But something was obviously wrong.  
  
  
  
His thoughts were confirmed when a rather irate looking Usagi stood from the couch, placed her fists on her hips, and gave him an evil stare. "Who's the red head that lives in 3A?" She asked and her toe started tapping.  
  
  
  
Mamoru desperately wanted to laugh at her expression. She looked completely like the jealous housewives of old. "Beryl?"   
  
  
  
"Yeah, that's her." Usagi stomped her foot on the carpet. "How did she get here?"  
  
  
  
"I-" Mamoru didn't know exactly what to say. He was certain though that Beryl finally met her match. It didn't look like Usagi was going to take anything from her. "She was a friend of a friend of a friend. He asked me to take her in."  
  
  
  
"Humph." Usagi plopped down on the couch and crossed her arms in front of her chest. It was a legitimate answer, she knew. In truth, she didn't know why she was so upset with the whole thing. But something just seemed wrong with the idea of Mamoru sleeping with THAT female.  
  
  
  
"Usagi?" He moved to sit next to her on the couch. "What happened? Did she say something to you?" He knew that red headed female had a way of always causing trouble.   
  
  
  
"She just said something that, ugh, never mind!" She threw her arms up in frustration and stood to pace the room. Inside she felt like she needed to run.   
  
  
  
"Please, Usagi, you can talk to me you know. What did she say?" He pleaded with her for the information.  
  
  
  
Unable to look him in the eye without picturing Beryl with him, she gave in. "Well, she didn't say, but she implied that you and her, had, well, you know."  
  
  
  
Confusion was the first emotion on his face. It was quickly replaced with knowledge. Then came a look of utter disgust, followed by laughter.  
  
  
  
"Me and her?" He was laughing so hard that he had to clutch at his stomach. Relief immediately washed over Usagi's face.   
  
  
  
"Oh thank God!" she declared in happiness, plopping back down on the couch.  
  
  
  
The two sat laughing over the whole idea for several moments before silence claimed them. Sobering, Usagi turned to look at him. "Mamoru, have you ever been with any of the females here?"  
  
  
  
Taking in her serious tone, Mamoru turned to her, his face showing nothing but trust. "No, I haven't."  
  
  
  
Gulping slightly at her courage, she pressed just a little farther. "Have you been with any female?" she asked, dropping her eyes from his, her cheeks immediately turned pink.  
  
  
  
Yet it didn't match the red that was flaming on Mamoru's cheeks. "No."  
  
  
  
Usagi, startled by his admittance, shot her head up to look deep in to his eyes, which were closer than before. "Why?" she whispered.   
  
  
  
"Because I've been saving myself for someone special," Mamoru said as he moved closer to her, taking her hands into his.  
  
  
  
A lump formed into Usagi's throat. "Who?"  
  
  
  
He leaned forward, an inch from her face. "You."   
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
And thus ends this installment of For Sale. Tune in next time. *grins, giggles, and skips away*  
  
  
  
ChibiJ77@yahoo.com 


	5. Chapter 5

For Sale  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Rated PG-13  
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Edited by: Lady Solo  
  
All disclaimers apply.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Mamoru moved closer to Usagi slowly, careful not to frighten her. He was only an inch from her lips.  
  
*Ding*   
  
The sound of the elevator echoed throughout the penthouse. Quickly jumping apart from each other, Usagi and Mamoru settled into seats at the far ends of the couch.  
  
"Usagi!" Minako's voice yelled out from the front room. "Are you ready to go to dinner?"   
  
Usagi quickly looked to the clock on the wall while Mamoru checked his watch. Sure enough, it was five minutes until six. As the sound of Minako's footsteps began to approach the living room, Mamoru jumped to his feet.  
  
"We will finish this conversation later," he quickly whispered before running out of the room.  
  
Before Usagi even had a chance to react, Minako entered the room.  
  
"Hey girl. Did you hear me?" Minako asked as she took a good look at her sister. "What's wrong?"  
  
"What?" Usagi asked, worried that Minako somehow knew what almost happened.  
  
"Your cheeks are all red," Minako replied as she reached forward to place a hand on her sister's forehead. "No fever. So what's wrong?"  
  
Grasping for an excuse, any excuse, Usagi mumbled out the first though to come into her mind. "Oh, I fell asleep for a couple minutes. Your yelling startled me."  
  
Minako simply nodded her head in understanding, although she didn't buy Usagi's story at all. If she had been startled so badly, then she would have shouted out or something. Her breathing was slightly accelerated though, so maybe something had scared her, but before Minako arrived.  
  
"Well, let's go or we'll be late," Usagi said in an overly chirpy voice. She was laughing, yet Minako couldn't help but think that it was a little overdone.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Good Evening Ladies!" Mamoru sounded out joyously as he entered the dining hall that evening. He had waited nearly fifteen minutes before moving to leave the penthouse. He needed time to collect himself and his thoughts and he couldn't do that in a room overflowing with females.  
  
A general chuckle sounded from the room. No matter how often he greeted the females of the building, it always seemed to make them giddy. 'Perhaps that was why I do it,' he thought to himself. After all, so few did anything anymore to make females feel special. If it brightened their life just a little, he was happy to do it.  
  
Making his way to his usual chair, Mamoru noticed that Usagi had chosen to sit with Minako and not with Rei. From the first day she had moved in, Usagi had always sat by Rei. Now, in light of the new development in their relationship, it seemed that Usagi couldn't sit near Mamoru.  
  
Frustration ran rapid in Mamoru's mind. He had planned to drop subtle hints throughout dinner of his affections towards Usagi. Yet now she wouldn't be able to hear and understand his feelings.  
  
Mucking it up to one lost hour, Mamoru put his plans on hold until after the meal.  
  
Yet again another spoiled plot. In further escape of the compassions of Mamoru, Usagi had chosen to visit her mother and brother after dinner. In his mind, he hoped that she was just visiting, since she hadn't talked to her mother or brother since she confessed to her mother what happened at the jail. But his heart was stressed. Perhaps her affections were not equal to his and she was avoiding him.  
  
But time, as it always does, has a way of catching up with a person. Eventually Usagi did have to come home. When she did, Mamoru was up and waiting.  
  
"Usagi." He spoke her name softly in an attempt not to frighten her.   
  
Turning her attention to the voice that she somehow knew would be up and waiting, Usagi let out a slight gasp of surprise. Mamoru was sitting at the kitchen table. In front of him sat a single burning candle, the only light on in the dark room. The way the light of the flames flickered off of his features both scared her and excited her. He was handsome beyond all description, yet something in his eyes sent shivers up her spine.  
  
"Usagi, we need to talk," he said as he stood from his seat. He walked toward Usagi, who was standing as stiff as a board, and took her hand in his. His touch caused her to immediately melt. He walked her to the seat he had been in and sat her down. Pushing her lightly towards the table, he took the seat next to her. Again he took her hand into his own and began to stroke it gently.  
  
"Please let me explain my earlier words." Mamoru waited for her nod of acknowledgement before continuing. "I fear that I scared you before. My words and actions often betray my true meaning."  
  
"Wait, please," Usagi said quickly, putting a finger to his lips to silence him. "When I first saw Minako again and I asked her how she got here she said that you came to our home looking for me. Something about a vision?"  
  
A slight blush rose on Mamoru's cheeks. He opened and closed his mouth several times, willing the words to rise from his throat, never succeeding.   
  
Taking his expression as confusion and shock mixed, Usagi gave a sigh and looked away. "I knew that it sounded silly. Just Minako being Minako again I suppose."   
  
"No," Mamoru whispered. Usagi turned quickly towards Mamoru to find him staring at her. "No, it wasn't just a typical Minako blunder, although I have gotten quite used to those. No, this time she heard right."  
  
"But I'm confused. You had a vision about me and came to find me?" she asked, hoping to get the entire situation cleared up.  
  
"Well, actually, I saw you first. You were walking through the grocery store and I couldn't keep my eyes off of you. But I noticed that you were a lot younger than me and knew that you had to be close to thirteen and would be heading to the camps."  
  
A sigh came from both Mamoru and Usagi. The camps could be torturous places and were just as much for breaking down females as it was for training them. Often females were beaten, some would go insane, others would try to escape only to end up caught and killed.  
  
"But you cast some sort of spell over me and I couldn't get you out of my head. I started dreaming of you every night for over a month." Mamoru's cheeks were turning a darker shade of red than previous, causing Usagi to blush at what the nature of the dreams might have been. "But one night the dream was different. Much different."  
  
~*~Dream~*~  
  
A loud rapping came across the front door. All that lived in the house knew what the knock signaled and gathered together in one last large hug. The pounding at the door came again and the family separated. Lifting her head bravely, a girl with long blonde hair opened the door.  
  
"I have come for the female child Tsukino Usagi." A man in an all black uniform with a patch on the sleeve read off a clipboard.  
  
The blonde that had answered the door nodded her head. "I am Tsukino Usagi," she replied in a confident voice, although her hands were shaking terribly.  
  
"You are to come with me," the uniformed man replied. He then turned and walked up the small sidewalk to a van parked on the street. A label on the side of the van read "Female Services" and had windows only on the front half.  
  
Turning one last time towards her family, Usagi gave her best to smile. "I love you. Minako take care of Momma and Shingo." Minako, a blonde only an inch shorter than Usagi, nodded her head. "Goodbye."   
  
With her final goodbye, she turned from the house and walked up and into the van. Refusing to look back, Usagi lowered her head and stared at her hands. Clasping her fingers together, she sent a silent prayer to the heavens. 'Please help me to be strong. Please help me to be safe. Please help me to keep others safe.'  
  
~*~End Dream~*~  
  
"I could do nothing but stand by and watch it all happen," Mamoru said as he used a tissue to wipe Usagi's eyes. "Yet in all my sorrow, I had learned your name. I found your family and hoped to all that was holy that it hadn't happened yet. But I was too late.  
  
"It had taken me a month to track down your home and family. It was too long. The night I dreamed it was the night you were taken. I brought your family into my safe house. I felt horrible that I had not made it in time and vowed that I would find you again."  
  
A small smile spread on Usagi's face. He had done so much for her. She could have been trapped forever in the home of some retched male that abused her. But he came for her. He saved her. He had found her and brought her safely back to her family. Yet, she was still curious.   
  
"How did you find me?" she asked. A deep chuckle resonated through the room. Usagi looked at him strangely. "What?"  
  
"Please don't take offense when I say this." Mamoru paused and watched her nod her head in agreement. "I'm male."  
  
He stopped there. Usagi looked at him, waiting for a more informative answer. Nothing else came. "That's it?"  
  
"Well, it wasn't difficult to find you when I have a grade-A computer hacker here in this very building. She used the information that Minako and your mother provided us, date of birth, identification number, and blood type, we tracked you down quite easily."  
  
Usagi nodded her head impressed. She should have known that it would be something illegal. After all, most of the things that went on in the building were illegal in some way. After all, it's not exactly impressive to the male dominance groups to know that females are being sheltered, educated, and empowered without them knowing.  
  
"I will admit that I was off on my timing for getting you first when you were released." Mamoru admitted. "I had assumed that they would be auctioning in alphabetical order and that you would be towards the end of the list. Of course they just had to grab randomly and I just had to be stuck in traffic."  
  
Usagi rolled her eyes. It was like listening to someone make up a lame excuse to their boss for being a few minutes late.  
  
"I tracked you to your first owner, but you were already gone. The second was easy, but you slipped out of there so effortlessly that I didn't get the chance to run in like a knight on a white horse."  
  
"So I really should go and thank Gui for having no interest in me then," Usagi giggled.  
  
"I've made several purchases from him and he had called me to let me know that he had some new 'stock' in. A quick description had me leaving the office as quick as possible. And from there you know the story." Mamoru grinned at Usagi. She smiled back; she was very grateful for all the trouble he had gone through just for her.  
  
"So you waited all that time for me. You took a chance and waited that long just on the hopes of finding me," Usagi said as she shook her head in disbelief.   
  
Mamoru scooted his chair as close to Usagi's as possible and wrapped his arms around her. She, in turn, returned the hug. "It wasn't so long ago. It's only been five years."  
  
"Five years is a long time when you are in a camp," Usagi replied quietly. "But I decided that I would be strong. I would not give in. I would survive."  
  
"I am grateful that you did survive," Mamoru assured her. "And we have plenty of time to make up for those five years."   
  
Slightly pulling away from Usagi's hold, Mamoru bent his face down to hers and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.   
  
Quick and chaste, Mamoru released from the kiss. "I'm sorry."  
  
A shot of fear crossed Usagi's features. "Please don't be sorry, I'm not."  
  
"No," Mamoru silenced her pleading with a finger to her lips. "I'm sorry for losing those five years with you." And again he bent down to kiss her.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"And then he kissed me!" an overly happy Usagi recounted the night to her two best friends, Minako and Rei.  
  
Both females let out an excited shriek for their friend before quickly covering their mouths. It would do them no good to be caught out in public acting such ways. Usagi had decided that she was tired of being cooped up all day in the building. Mamoru honored her request, but insisted that she at least be with two others.  
  
"Oh Usa! That is so romantic!" Minako gushed. For most females the idea of romance had drained from their hearts and minds. Although no one had every really wanted to accept this fate that had come to the human females, only the brave dared to defy it.  
  
"He promised that we would spend tonight catching up on the lost years." Usagi blushed as the words rushed from her mouth. She hoped that things wouldn't move too fast, but didn't want to voice her worries.  
  
Sensing her thoughts, Rei placed a hand on Usagi's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm sure that he'll be a true gentleman. In fact, I'd put money on it that when the time comes, he'll be as nervous as you are."  
  
Usagi's blush went up a notch while Minako started to giggle.   
  
Yet the light and happy mood that the three females had been in shattered as they entered the downtown area. Something was going on and by the looks of joy on nearly every males' face, it wasn't something that the three were going to enjoy.  
  
Placing a mask of nonchalance on their face, the three walked towards the town square just as the old clock that had stood at the center of town rang noon. When the chimes stopped a booming voice came through several speakers that had been placed around the "hanging stage."  
  
"These two have been caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law," an old man with a bulging stomach, that all recognized as the mayor, echoed throughout the small square. "This female was caught under the care and protection of this male. She has been educated above and beyond the teachings allowed to females of her age. He kept her in his home and hid her from officers when they came to collect her for the camps."  
  
The mayor paused for dramatic effect as the two "criminals" were brought out in front of the crowd. Young male children who stood towards the front threw rocks at the two as their hands were tied above their heads. A rope was placed around the female's neck.  
  
Most females chose to look the other way. Some fled in terror of what was to come. Many times these executions had occurred and it was too much for many to bear witness to again. But Usagi, Minako, and Rei stood towards the back and watched. Not out of some twisted desire to watch the couple suffer, but in a matter of respect.  
  
Few people dared defy the law. Mamoru was a brave soul and dared to keep up his hope that the world would once again return to normal. Yet everyday he challenged the government and risked his life and others. And though the danger was great, no one in his care would have their lives any other way.  
  
"Under normal circumstances, this sort of betrayal would call for death to both," the mayor's voice again echoed through the park. "Yet today, I feel that there is a need for change."  
  
With a nod of the mayor's head, two males with whips in their hands came onto the stage. The sound of the whips slapping against skin sounded in the air. Males cheered on as the young males counted out loud the number of times that the whips cracked. When finally the mayor's hand rose to cease the action, the whips had shot out over forty times.  
  
Tears streamed down Usagi's face. Her strength was failing her, yet she refused to look away from the young child on the stage. It appeared that she was only fourteen or perhaps a small fifteen. The man was either her father or relative of some kind. The resemblance between the two was obvious.  
  
Usagi began to whisper a small prayer just below her breath. After just a few words, both Rei and Minako joined her in prayer. A silence grew over the crowd as the mayor raised his hand above his head. Yet the three females in the back row continued their prayer of love and support.   
  
The mayor sliced his hand through the air, landing by his side. With his hand went the young child's life. The trap door opened below her feet and the small angel fell. Her hands still tied above her, she couldn't even struggle. The male beside her wept openly and chanted her name over and over again until she ceased to move at all.  
  
Satisfied that the female was indeed dead, the mayor ordered for the male to be released. "This is a reminder to all of you. No one disrespects the law in this city." With his final words, the mayor turned and walked off the stage. A large male reached up with a knife and cut the child's limp body down and laid her in front of the accused male. He curled her into his arms and cried brokenly. A silent vow crossed his lips before he set her down and stood. His eyes blankly scanned the crowd as it began to break away, the show over.  
  
Spotting three females in the back that watched on with loving and sympathetic eyes, the broken male yelled out to the crowd. "Don't let them break you! Never let them break you!" His final words echoed as every person stopped to watch. Leaping at the nearby guard, he grabbed the knife that was used to cut down his daughter and sliced it quickly across his throat.  
  
Blood seeped quickly from his body as he collapsed to the ground beside the young child. Using the last of his strength, he wrapped his arms around her as his body went limp.  
  
"And may you find your happiness and joy in heaven together with the father almighty." The three finished the prayer that they had been whispering.  
  
The crowd now departed and the cleaning crew up on the platform, Rei turned to Usagi and Minako. "Let's go home now please. I need to hug my brother."  
  
The two sisters nodded their understanding as they made their way back to Chiba Estates.  
  
~*~*~  
  
News spread quickly through Chiba Estates about the "punishment" that the three females bore witness to. It was normal to hear of hangings in the town square, but to hear of such cruelness and torture was new. Fear escalated and several females locked themselves into their bedroom, refusing to come out.   
  
Mamoru arrived home to be greeted by many panicking females. As normal amongst a panicking crowd, questions were being thrown out rapidly, begging for answers that Mamoru had no idea about.  
  
Promising to get to the bottom of everything, he assured them that he would answer all of their questions at dinner. And thus a very concerned and confused Mamoru entered through the penthouse door.  
  
Silence permeated the apartment. It was as if death had come and ceased all life in every room. Yet when he entered the living room, he was greeted by the sight of Rei, Usagi, and Minako huddled together in a hug, each leaning their head on the other's shoulder. Dried tears were streaked down each set of cheeks, though it appeared that the tears had dried up some time ago.  
  
"What happened?" he asked hoarsely. Although he had yet to hear the news, he knew that it must be bad.   
  
Hearing her brother's voice, Rei leaped up and ran to him, enveloping him in a tight hug.  
  
"Rei, what happened?" Mamoru pleaded for some kind of information. But before he could get that, he felt two more pairs of arms wrap around him. Sneaking in from each side, Usagi and Minako joined in the hug. Deciding that it was best to just let them get out their emotions, Mamoru just stood quietly, waiting for the knowledge that he so anxiously awaited.  
  
Taking a step back from her brother, Rei looked him up and down, as if inspecting him to assure herself that he was still whole. Feeling the fresh tears that were trailing down her face, Rei lifted a hand up to wipe them away before letting out a deep sigh. "Mamoru, it was horrible." She could barely finish her sentence before she broke down in tears and grabbed her brother into her arms again.  
  
Usagi and Minako had pulled away from Mamoru when Rei first did, but stepped further back to allow Rei the time she needed with her brother. Minako moved to sit on the couch while Usagi walked into the kitchen to make some tea for everyone.   
  
As Rei began to recount the events of the afternoon, Usagi thought of the poor girl that was hung in front of her father. They both stood tall and proud as the whips shot out against their skin. They did not cry out for mercy or beg for their lives. In his last moments, the father did not think of himself. His words were shouted out to all the females present, yet Usagi couldn't help but think that they were meant for her specifically. "Don't let them break you! Never let them break you!"  
  
The teakettle began to whistle and Usagi mechanically removed it from the stove burner. But her mind wandered to the young child. She sunk to the kitchen floor as the image of the young female was replaced with the faces of her brother, of young Hotaru, the proud and defiant Setsuna. Tears began to run down her face uncontrolled. The images changed to her mother, to Minako, to Rei, and finally to Mamoru.  
  
Her breath caught in her throat. Of anyone living in that building, Mamoru was in the most danger. Should he be caught not only would every female be punished, but he would be killed. Purchased females would be tortured, but not killed. Those in hiding in the sub-basements would be killed for their "crimes." But Mamoru would be made to suffer before his execution. And Usagi would be made to watch.  
  
Mamoru walked Rei and Minako to the elevator and begged them to take a rest before dinner. Their bodies were worn down and he feared for their health. With a promise to see them soon, the elevator door closed.  
  
With the two calmed slightly, he shifted his concern to the other female who was missing in the kitchen. Whatever he expected to see, it was not what he found laying on the kitchen floor.  
  
Sobbing brokenly, Usagi was wrapped in a small ball lying on her side. Mamoru rushed to pick her up from the floor, but she fought against him weakly.  
  
"Shh...it will be alright," he whispered to her over and over again until she began to calm down.  
  
As if waking from a trance, Usagi looked up to see Mamoru holding her against his chest and rocking her gently back and forth. "Mamoru?" she whispered hoarsely.  
  
"I'm here Usagi," he reassured her. She was shivering and her skin felt like ice, thought the apartment was quite warm.  
  
"Mamoru, I'm scared," she admitted to him. Never had Usagi been scared. She worried occasionally, but she was never scared.   
  
"I promise I will not let anything happen to you." He meant the words and he knew that he would never break that promise, even if it meant his death.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered as she drifted into a light sleep on his arm. Her body felt completely exhausted and she knew that Mamoru would keep her safe.  
  
Watching her eyes close and listening to her breathing even out, Mamoru knew that she had fallen asleep. Careful not to awake her, he gently lifted her and took her to her room and laid her upon her bed. He covered her with the blanket and moved to leave the room.  
  
Yet a soft voice stopped his movement. "Please stay," she whispered. Mamoru looked to find that she hadn't moved at all, but still seemed to know that he was attempting to leave.   
  
Allowing a light chuckle to escape his throat, he smiled down at Usagi. "I'll stay," he whispered back at her. At his gentle voice, her entire body seemed to thoroughly relax and sink into her bed.  
  
Taking a seat in the rocking chair in the corner of the room, Mamoru watched his angel sleep. For she was indeed an angel sent from heaven to heal his broken life. With his parents' death and the changing of the world, Mamoru had begun to think that life was not worth living. Yet with his first look at the blonde before him, he knew that there was at least one think worth living for. Her.  
  
Rocking back and forth rhythmically, Mamoru dozed off, thinking of how he would comfort and reassure the females of the building. But more importantly, how he would comfort and reassure Usagi.  
  
~*~*~   
  
At exactly 5:45, Mamoru woke. It was as if it was a skill practiced and honed to perfection. Glancing towards Usagi, he found that she was awake and watching him.   
  
"Good Evening." His voice stretched with a yawn as he stretched his arms to the ceiling.  
  
"Hi," Usagi whispered quietly. She shyly looked away from him as she stood from the bed and stretched her muscles.   
  
"How are you feeling?" Mamoru asked, still worried about her grievous state. He didn't get to talk to her as he had Rei and Minako.   
  
"Better, I think," she started, but paused when she looked him fully in the face again. "I guess that I'm just worried about our fate."  
  
Mamoru crossed the length of the room in two steps and lifted his hand to caress Usagi's cheek. "Our fate is not to be worried over. It is set before us and we will follow it just as all others follow the path before them."  
  
"But what if I do not like where the path leads?" Usagi asked skeptically, her eyes dropping to stare at the floor.  
  
Placing a finger under her chin, Mamoru brought Usagi's eyes to meet his own. "Then we will forge a new path together."   
  
Leaning in slowly, Mamoru placed a gentle kiss on Usagi's lips. Parting before he felt the need to indulge more, Mamoru gave a sigh. "It's time to go to dinner."  
  
Understanding Mamoru's anxiety at the greeting that he would receive upon entrance to the dining hall, Usagi grasped his hand in her own. "If anyone can bring them comfort, you can."  
  
Mamoru nodded his head silently as the two made their way to the elevator. The ride to the sixth floor was silent, but only until the elevator doors opened. Mass chaos would be the best description to give, yet it seemed so much more.  
  
Females were fighting over one another in order to get closer to Mamoru in an effort to voice their concern. Throughout the room, females stood in small huddles either speaking in low and comforting tones, or leaning on each other for support in their frail state.   
  
With a loud booming voice, Mamoru spoke out across the crowd. "Be seated now for dinner and I will speak to you all. Please, be seated!"  
  
And as always, the true and loyal females followed the order of their master. Still speaking amongst themselves of their fear, everyone found their seats. Mamoru found that Minako had chosen to sit by her sister and Rei. Setsuna had a slight tint of fear in her eyes, but kept her outer appearance strong and secure. Hotaru, despite hearing the rumors, looked no worse for wear. She was still young and her knowledge of males was limited to those who lived in the estate.  
  
Mamoru stood at the head of the middle table, his normal seat, and looked out at all of the faces of the females staring back at him. His heart felt as if a hand had wrapped around it and was squeezing. The lives of all of these females rested in his hand. He had known it before, but in such a circumstance, the thought became painful and drew in more worry.  
  
But as his eyes rested on Usagi's, he felt his strength return. She watched him with love in her eyes and nothing but. All fear had fled her and she sat confident and strong as a mighty tree hundreds of years old.  
  
"Ladies," he began, but paused as the lump in his throat needed a moment to pass, "Ladies, today you have heard of a tragedy that was witnessed in the town square. A father and daughter suffered the sting of whips before the young child was hung. The father, grief stricken and suffering, claimed his life with the guard's knife."  
  
Speaking the words from his own mouth for the first time, Mamoru felt like breaking down and crying. The cruel punishment was unbearable to think about. To make a father watch his own daughter die for his love, for it was his love that made him defy the law, was truly heinous.   
  
"Several of the females of the house were present and listened to the crimes as reported by the mayor. It is said that the father hid his daughter when it came time for her to go to the camps. It is unknown how the information was discovered, but I assure you that I will find out.  
  
"Every precaution is taken in this building. Do not fear discovery of this household or any other that I run."  
  
Usagi took a moment to stare at Mamoru. She thought to question her hearing, but knew that she heard correctly. Mamoru had more safe houses than just Chiba Estates. She saw him smile lightly at her as she absorbed the information. It was obvious by her look back that he would receive a talking to later that night.  
  
"Now, ladies, I beseech you to calm yourselves. We have enough stress in this world without panicking over such things. Please, eat your dinners and make light of life. For that is all we can do in such circumstances."  
  
Silence encompassed the room as Mamoru sat. Yet he followed his own words and began to talk to Hotaru about her day as he normally would. Soon after the whispers at the tables turned to normal speech and it was as if it were any other night at the Chiba Estates dinner tables.  
  
By the end of the meal, everything seemed right again and fear was washed from every face. Usagi smiled brightly as she talked with Rei and Minako. She would occasionally look towards Mamoru as he made a jest or commented on what they were talking about.  
  
Desert arrived on the tables as three unexpected guests made their way into the building. The secretary directed them to the elevator and informed them to the floor where her master could be found.  
  
The strawberry ice cream was cold on Usagi's tongue, causing her to gasp out in surprise. Mamoru began to chuckle at her antics, but heard a louder, more fearful gasp from the back of the room.  
  
Standing up, Mamoru could clearly see three males standing in the entranceway of the dining hall. "Good evening sirs. How may I help you?" he asked as he made his way towards the males.  
  
As he moved towards them, he could more clearly make out their uniforms and recognized them as police officers.  
  
"Chiba Mamoru?" one officer asked as Mamoru approached.  
  
"Yes. I am he," Mamoru replied confidently.  
  
"I'm sorry to disturb your meal sir, but we need you to come with us."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
*giggles* I know what happens next and you don't!!  
  
*runs away*   
  
LS: :gnasher: you...you...*shakes fist* BAHHHHHH! *busts out the chianti, fava beans, and narrows eyes in the direction of J* 


	6. Chapter 6

For Sale  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Rated: PG-13   
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Edited by: Lady Solo  
  
AN: umm...I think that the balcony was facing the sunset last time I wrote about it. Let's just say that it sticks out far from the building and that from the right rail you can see the east and the left rail the west. Therefore you can see both sunset and sunrise. *grins*  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The hours of the evening passed like days and months for the females of Chiba Estates. Although the officers did not place handcuffs on him, concern for Mamoru's safety, and their own, weighed heavily on every mind.   
  
Yet as the hours passed from evening to early morning, the females that sat at the front door began to dwindle. Having practically walked Mamoru out the door with the officers, many refused to leave. But slowly, sleep overcame almost all of the females of the building. Those that didn't make it to their rooms were asleep on the couches in the lobby.  
  
But on the top floor of Chiba Estates was a female that refused to let sleep take hold of her mind. For hours Usagi paced back and forth, practically wearing a hole into the carpeting. She moved from room to room looking for something, anything, to occupy her mind from her rapid thoughts.   
  
By four in the morning, her pacing had led her out onto the balcony. The morning sun was not yet ready to rise, but she felt compelled to sit and wait for it. Should this be her last day of freedom, she wished to witness all the beauty the world had to offer, before seeing all the hate it held as well.  
  
Time ticked away and the morning light began to peak out at the edges of the city. Although the air was crisp and chilled, Usagi refused to wrap her arms around herself. Should this be the last thing that she would ever experience, she wanted to feel it fully.  
  
Mamoru, quite weary from the night's events, quietly snuck through the building. Females were scattered throughout the lobby, a rather amusing site to his tired eyes. But there was only one female that he wished to look upon. Gathering that she would have more wits about her than the females downstairs, he immediately headed towards his apartment.  
  
He entered the dark apartment and assumed that Usagi must be sleeping in her room. But as he began to walk down the hall, Mamoru felt a chill breeze blow through the well-heated apartment.  
  
Immediately, Mamoru's attention focused on the balcony and the lone figure that stood facing the sunrise.   
  
The door to the balcony was open wide enough for his body to easily slide through without having to open it more. Mamoru stood in awe for a moment as he took in Usagi. Her eyes were closed as the morning sun lit up her face. The orange glow of the sun reflected on her skin and made her look almost ethereal.  
  
"Usagi," Mamoru whispered, afraid that the angel before him would fly away with the last shadows of night.  
  
Usagi didn't move. Her thoughts had been so centered on Mamoru and life and all things that a mind wanders to when let be. The sound of his voice calling her name was almost magical and seemed to be of a dream.  
  
"But I didn't want to fall asleep," Usagi scolded herself.   
  
"Usagi, you're not dreaming," Mamoru said with a laugh.   
  
Turning slowly to face Mamoru, Usagi allowed a smile to cross her face, though she still refused to open her eyes. "You say it isn't a dream, but I'm not sure if I should believe you. After all, if it is a dream and I open my eyes, then you'll be gone."  
  
Mamoru's smile grew wider. Only Usagi would challenge him on such a thing. "Shall I prove that this is no dream?"   
  
Usagi began to nod her head, but her action was stopped as Mamoru's hands took position on each side of her face. Mamoru gently bent down and claimed her lips with his own.  
  
Enjoying the moment fully, Usagi moaned slightly when she felt Mamoru's lips leave hers. Yet she did not open her eyes.  
  
"Usagi? Was that not proof enough for you?" Mamoru asked, wanting to see her baby blue eyes again.   
  
"No," she answered sternly, though her face and light giggling proved that she was far from serious.  
  
"No?"  
  
"No. I'm afraid I'll need a little more proof." Standing on her toes, Usagi leaned forward to where she could sense Mamoru's face and leaned in to kiss him again.  
  
When the kiss broke apart this time, it was Mamoru who was left distressed after her lips left his own. But when he opened his eyes, he found her eyes shining back into his.  
  
"So you finally believe that this isn't a dream?" he questioned her smiling face.  
  
"Perhaps," she laughed at his expression of disbelief. "I suppose I will fully believe when you tell me what happened."  
  
Mamoru took in her words with a sigh. He would tell her everything, he knew that much. It was her reaction that he feared.   
  
"Usagi," he started, but stopped upon looking into her tired eyes. "Let's get some sleep first, then I promise to tell you everything."  
  
A little disappointed that she would have to wait, Usagi nodded her head in agreement. Mamoru looked exhausted and it would be discourteous to pressure him for answers.  
  
"Go to your room. I'll be there in a minute," Mamoru told her. Again, Usagi nodded her head and made her way to her room. She turned right before she entered the hall to see him leaning against the rail. Something was troubling him, she could tell. But it was apparent that she would have to wait for all her answers.  
  
Mamoru stood on the balcony and looked out onto the city. It was currently peaceful and quiet, yet in a few hours a hunt would be made across the city. Cleared of all charges, he knew he was safe. Yet a horrible fate was destined for someone out there.  
  
Sighing, Mamoru left the balcony and closed the door behind him. If there was anything he could do for that person, he would. His sources were already trying to track the person, but he had little hope of finding the needed clues before the authorities.  
  
Stepping into Usagi's room, Mamoru found her already asleep. He smiled at the thought. She probably dropped her head on the pillow and lost consciousness immediately. Sliding into bed beside her, he wrapped his arms around her securely.   
  
His mind traced over all the things that had been happening lately. He hated that the females in his care were at risk everyday. Worse was the thought that Usagi was in constant danger.   
  
With his mind heavy with thoughts, Mamoru slowly drifted into sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
A light knocking on Usagi's bedroom door roused her from her sleep. The clock read noon and it was a wonder that no one had come any earlier. Quietly untangling herself from Mamoru, Usagi snuck out of the room.  
  
It wasn't much of a surprise to find that Rei and Minako were the guests outside of her bedroom.  
  
"I expected you hours ago," Usagi whispered as she rubbed the last remnants of sleep from her eyes.  
  
"We wanted to let you get some sleep," Rei answered simply. She too had spent the long hours of the night awaiting her brother. When she had seen him enter the building from her bedroom window, alive and unharmed, she knew that she could go to sleep without worry for his welfare.  
  
"Did he say anything?" Minako asked.   
  
Minako had been awake for a while that night, but went to sleep much earlier than most. One of the few females awake that morning, Minako walked around encouraging others to go to their apartments and get sleep.  
  
Everyone that Minako had spoken to had questions, all regarding Mamoru. Rumor had it that he had come home, but no other answers were available. Although silence reigned practically over all of the building, there would not be peace again for some time.  
  
"No, nothing. He was too tired," Usagi said with a light sigh. She knew that he was okay physically, but that didn't rule out his psychological state.  
  
"Have you eaten?" Minako asked, her concern for her sister's health apparent.  
  
"No. But I'm not sure what we have," Usagi answered with a smile. There was enough to worry about in this life without Minako having to worry about her.  
  
The three females made their way to the kitchen where they nursed on coffee and small powdered donuts. Trying to keep their minds as far from worry as possible, they talked about anything but their current situation.  
  
So it was to Mamoru's delight when he entered the kitchen an hour later to the laughter of Rei, Usagi, and Minako.  
  
"And he stepped on the ball!" Rei laughed out in a pompous voice. Usagi and Minako belted out laughter, before their attention focused on Mamoru.  
  
"Good morning!" the two blondes laughed out. Seeing Mamoru after hearing all the funny stories about him from Rei, it was hard to try to remember what had been so upsetting the night before.  
  
"Umm...Good morning, I think," Mamoru looked over the three smiling faces, landing last on his sister. "What have you been telling them?"  
  
A look of complete innocence shone on Rei's face. "Nothing! I swear!" Yet the snickers from Usagi and Minako caused Rei to lose her composure and all three started laughing again.  
  
"Fine then. I'll just get my coffee and go to work," Mamoru huffed, knowing that all three females would take the bait.  
  
"NO!" Usagi shouted, causing all other noise in the room to cease. "You can't. We have to know."  
  
Minako and Rei nodded their heads in agreement, and there was no doubt in Mamoru's mind what they had to know. Nodding his head in agreement, Mamoru began to tell of the night's events.  
  
"The night before last, there was a shooting at the police station. Someone entered the station, dressed all in black, and shot three officers," Mamoru paused, thinking briefly of what he had been told at the station. "Anyone with ties to the officers-in a negative way-were brought in for questioning. Last night was my turn."  
  
"What kind of negative ties do you have with the police?" Rei asked. Never had her brother risked having a "negative tie" with anyone. To upset anyone would put everyone in his care at risk.   
  
"After Usagi admitted what happened at the police station, I decided to take action," Mamoru stated, his eyes locked on Usagi's.  
  
"Mamoru, I asked you not to do anything about it," Usagi protested.  
  
Both Rei and Minako looked completely lost, but decided to let the story play on. Perhaps they would find out whatever secret Usagi had been hiding since she was arrested.  
  
"I know, but I couldn't let it happen again. Not to you or anyone," he said with a final note in his voice.   
  
"Anyhow," he began again, "The charges that I placed were considered to be a possible motive against the officers that were killed. However, I had an alibi and passed the lie detector test, so I was released."   
  
"So a couple officers got killed. I suppose that's not too terrible," Rei said with a smile. Yet inside, she knew that there was more. Mamoru's face was troubled. Far more troubled than a trip to the police station could have caused.  
  
"It's not just that Rei," Mamoru began. "These were officers that were killed. Not just everyday males, but male officers of the law. They plan on making an example of the murderer."  
  
Mamoru's words ended abruptly. All three females could tell that there was more and waited for it to come.  
  
"The attacker was female."   
  
"How do you know? Did they tell you that?" Minako asked with a slight fear in her voice.  
  
"No, but it was quite obvious on the tape they showed me of the shooting. The black clothing did nothing to hide her figure and a small piece of blonde hair was observable in the space between the facemask and her shirt.   
  
"But then why would they question you?" Rei asked. If they were looking for a female, why would they bother with him?  
  
"It wouldn't be the first time that a female was ordered to do something by her master," Mamoru replied simply as his eyes again turned to Usagi.  
  
She was toying with a strand of her blonde hair and understood what he was implying. When she had been attacked in the jail cell, there had been ten different males involved. Three were now dead. That left seven others to identify the various females that could have a motive to kill. Seven to identify the various females with blonde hair.  
  
"Are they going to take me away?" Usagi asked, fear evident in her voice. Minako and Rei turned startled eyes towards her.   
  
"I won't let them take you," Mamoru assured her.  
  
"But why would they want Usagi?" Minako asked, frightened for her sister.  
  
Releasing a deep sigh, Usagi decided that it was time for her sister and best friend to know the truth. As much as it hurt to tell the tale, it was time for them to know.  
  
Over half way through the story, the penthouse phone rang. Mamoru answered it quickly and left the room. When he returned from the call, the three females were embraced on the couch, each with fresh tears falling from their eyes.  
  
"That was Jim at the office. They have no news yet," Mamoru explained as he put the cordless phone back on its stand.  
  
Usagi wiped the tears from her cheeks and looked up to meet his eyes. "I suppose that we will just have to wait."  
  
Mamoru nodded his head in agreement. He dropped his eyes and began to study the carpet, as if there would be an answer there. Yet there was little else that could be done in this situation.  
  
"Mamoru," Rei started in an attempt to gain his attention, "You will have to tell them all something."  
  
"Everyone was up all night," Minako added. "I'm sure that rumors are flying like mad."  
  
"I'm sure they are too. I will take care of the females, just as I have always sworn to do," Mamoru declared.   
  
~*~  
  
The rumors were indeed flying throughout the estate, yet Mamoru was able to squelch almost all of them. He spent the entire day moving from floor to floor, talking to the females in small groups. For many, his appearance alone was satisfactory. Others demanded details that he would not reveal. But in the end, it appeared that the females of Chiba Estates were content with the answers that they received.  
  
Two weeks went by without much mishap. Mamoru and Usagi grew closer, yet were always careful to keep their relationship hidden from the eyes of others. Very few knew of their relationship and were very careful when speaking of it in public.  
  
The "manhunt" that Mamoru feared was kept low-key, something that he did not expect the officers to be able to do. Mamoru's resources were able to gather some information, yet not enough to find the female and bring her to safety. The police were an average of two steps behind the female-a margin that he wished was a little larger.  
  
Unfortunately he was kept so busy between work, the estate, and his other safe houses that he had little time to spend looking for the female. Usagi had offered to help in anyway, including working for him at the office. He accepted her offer with a smile, but laughed out loud when she asked what he did.   
  
"I am the CEO of Chiba Corporation," he declared with pride. "Publicly, we are a research and development company that works on three separate projects: a cure for cancer, a more effective means of building without destroying the Earth's precious materials, and fossil fuel substitute program."  
  
"Publicly," Usagi rolled the word out, "meaning that Chiba Corp has a more private side?"  
  
"A very private side," Mamoru stressed. "In fact, so private that less than one hundred employees know of it.  
  
"Chiba Corp also works to bring females and their families back together. You have seen in the sub-basements some of our successful endeavors. When the war ended and females were split from their families, some were sent across the world. Their families had no knowledge of the health and well being of their children. We attempt to gather and send information between the females and their family.  
  
"Whenever possible, we bring females back to the county and try to reunite them with their families. It is not easy to do and it is difficult to bring in new staff that I am sure I can trust on this project. Minako has been on the team for three years now."  
  
"Mamoru, I want to help," Usagi insisted with determination.  
  
"Usagi, my love, I would like very much for your help," he replied with a grin. He had known that once she learned of the project that there would be no stopping her.  
  
But with the start of Usagi's employment at Chiba Corp, Beryl's temper and jealousy flared. Rumors began to circulate around the estate. Beryl was quite careful and made sure that the rumors stayed away from certain ears. She knew that there were many females in the building that liked Usagi and would alert her to the accusations being made against her.   
  
Beryl, however, chose her words wisely and made no direct attacks on Usagi. Yet words always mix when they move from person to person and a simple statement can easily become misconstrued into something else.  
  
~*~  
  
"She was arrested for jaywalking," Mamoru stated in an almost shocked voice as he dropped a stack of papers onto the desk in front of Usagi and Minako.  
  
A "Huh?" came from both blondes as they stared dumbfounded at Mamoru.  
  
"Honto Tesu. Arrested for jaywalking, she was released to her master after being in jail for over six hours. The reports indicate that she was an "enjoyable" prisoner who posed no real problem to the officers," Mamoru read off a slip of paper.  
  
"And she is?" Minako asked, unsure of where all of this was leading.  
  
"Honto Tesu is the lead suspect in the killing of the three officers at the police station," Mamoru answered, glancing towards Usagi in order to gage her reaction.  
  
"Tesu," Usagi whispered the name to herself.   
  
"It appears that she was also attacked when she was in jail. The "enjoyable" part is referenced on several female prison reports. Including yours, Usagi," Mamoru explained.  
  
"Enjoyable!?" Usagi stood up enraged and began to pace violently around the small office. "Enjoyable, well I was glad to be of service to them!" she spat out angrily.  
  
"Usagi," Minako tried to speak to her sister, but when Usagi turned to face her, she decided it would be best to leave the talking to Mamoru.  
  
"Usagi, the important thing now is to find Tesu," Mamoru stated in a flat tone. Much like Minako, he didn't wish to enrage her further. "Her master was a Mr. Urami. She stole his gun and killed the officers. He has been freed of any charges."  
  
"Of course he has, he's male," Usagi mumbled, more to herself than to the other two occupants of the room.  
  
Avoiding Usagi's comments, Mamoru continued. "She fled the night of the shooting. It is reported that she has been moving daily from safe house to safe house. I need you two to try and track her down before the police do. They are getting closer to finding her everyday."  
  
"Yes sir, Mr. Chiba, we will get right on that," Usagi replied, instantly sitting and emerging herself into her computer.  
  
Both Mamoru and Minako gave a sigh as they watched Usagi quickly flip through page after page of information on the computer. In the week that she had worked there, Usagi quickly learned every detail of the system and was now putting her skills to the test.  
  
"Let me know if you find anything," Mamoru told Minako, knowing that Usagi was too wrapped up in what she was doing to hear him.  
  
With a nod of her head, Minako began to work through the computer network as Mamoru left the room. If there was any chance of finding Tesu before the police, then those two were the ones to do it.  
  
~*~  
  
"Usagi, it's time to go home," Minako told her sister as she shut down her computer for the night.  
  
"No, not yet," Usagi insisted, waving her hand to dismiss her sister. It was day three of the search for Tesu and Usagi was bound and determined not to give up on finding the female.  
  
"Usagi," Minako started.  
  
"No! I'm close! I can sense it," Usagi replied as Mamoru entered the room.  
  
"Usagi, it is late and we need to go home," Mamoru said in a kind voice. Her passion to find Tesu was taking her over and he was worried for her. He feared what would happen to Usagi if they didn't find her.  
  
When the page that she was trying to load ended with an error message, Usagi let out a growl. Heaving a sigh, she shut down the computer and stood up. "Perhaps you're right."  
  
"Perhaps?" Mamoru asked with a joking voice and the slight raise of his eyebrows.  
  
Playfully swatting him back, Usagi smiled at him. "I'm sorry, Mr. Chiba. You are always right. Please forgive my arrogance," she replied sarcastically.  
  
Minako cleared her throat and smiled at the couple, "Um, Mr. Chiba, Usagi, perhaps we should take this conversation somewhere a bit more private."  
  
Both Mamoru and Usagi nodded their head in understanding. Minako had become the "watchdog" at work, making sure that the two lovebirds didn't do anything to arouse suspicion in the males that worked around them.  
  
The ride home that night was uneventful, as usual, but upon entering Chiba Estates, the unusual was ready and waiting.  
  
Gathered at the front door of the estates, waiting for the return of their master, were at least two-dozen females. Rei was there as well, trying to calm the near hysterical females.  
  
"What's going on?" Mamoru questioned as the females and their questions swarmed him.  
  
"Mamoru, we heard it was her fault. Is it true?" one asked as she pointed to Usagi.  
  
"Mamoru, you have to get rid of her! She'll turn us all in!" another insisted.  
  
And more and more accusations, questions, and demands were shouted out towards Mamoru, while all fingers pointed at Usagi.  
  
"Rei?!" Mamoru shouted over the voices of the females, in an attempt to find the answer to his unasked question: what the hell was going on?  
  
Rei shrugged her shoulders and shouted, "I don't know," though she doubted that Mamoru had actually heard her voice. For hours the females had been moaning about some kind of "injustice" and gathered at the front door waiting for her brother. Any attempts she made to get information were in vain, for they refused to answer to her.  
  
"Quiet! QUIET!" Mamoru shouted out over the many voices. "I will speak to one of you at a time. Please be quiet!"  
  
And if the servitude of these females to their master was ever in question, it was doubtful that it would ever be in question again. Within ten seconds, the lobby was silent.   
  
"Thank you. Now, Hanasu, please tell me what is going on," Mamoru requested of the brown hair female that stood before him.  
  
"Mr. Chiba, word has gotten around that Usagi reported you to the police. That's why they came after you that night," Hanasu started. Mamoru was about to comment, when she continued. "Some of the others are saying that they heard her and her sister talking and they plan on turning us all in, in exchange for their freedom."  
  
Mamoru listened to Hanasu and felt like laughing outright. "I assure you Hanasu, I assure you all, that the trip I took to the police station was in no way related to Usagi."  
  
"But sir," another female spoke up, "We've heard that when she was arrested that she made a deal with the officers!"  
  
Usagi cringed. If that was a deal, then she was certainly not the receiver of the good end of the bargain.  
  
"Again, I assure you that these accusations are false," Mamoru again tried to persuade the crowd of females. "You all know that I have nothing but your best intentions in mind. I would not allow anything happen to you or to this establishment."  
  
Several females again tried to protest, but Mamoru decided that it was time to act as master. "I wish to hear no more on this subject." And with that final word, all was silent again. Mamoru made his way to the elevator, with Usagi and Minako close behind them.  
  
When the elevator door closed, Usagi sagged her body against Mamoru. Minako proceeded to wipe the small beads of sweat that accumulated on her forehead.   
  
"So," Mamoru started with a light voice, "Who's in the mood for pizza in the penthouse tonight?"  
  
Immediately, both females shot their hands up in the air. All three enjoyed a slight laugh.  
  
~*~  
  
"In the news today," the chubby anchor of the local news channel came on the TV. "Authorities have finally made an arrest in the shooting of three local police officers."  
  
The audience around the television became silent as their slices of pizza dropped to their plates.  
  
"Female Honto Tesu was found today in the safe keeping of local resident, Otoko Yoi." The picture of the newscaster dropped into the background and was replaced by the small picture that had been up in the top corner.  
  
Shouts were heard from the area around a small white house. Several officers, with weapons drawn, surrounded the small house while another officer approached the front door.  
  
"Honto Tesu! We know you are in there! Come out with your hands in the air!" The officer shouted. After waiting a moment, the officer kicked in the front door and began to move in.   
  
Several shouts were heard at the side of the house and an officer who had been waiting by the cars began to run. The cameraman was quick to follow, as the scene on the television began to jump around.  
  
Arriving at the back of the house, the camera quickly zoomed in on a female, frozen to her spot. She slowly turned around, revealing a female of about twenty years of age with honey colored hair.  
  
"Put your hands in the air now!" an officer screamed out, yet Tesu did not move. "Do it now!"  
  
Still frozen in place, the sound of sobbing was coming from the female. Her body was shaking and it appeared that she was about to fall.   
  
A "brave" officer neared Tesu silently and raised his gun in the air. With a quick slice through the air, the end of the gun was brought down onto her head, knocking her out. Her body slumped to the ground in a pile, her back exposed to the sky.  
  
The officer that had knocked her out put away his gun and reached down to Tesu. Grabbing a handful of her hair, he yanked back to lay her body flat. The camera zoomed in on a pale young face before the newscaster's face once again took over the screen.  
  
"Otoko is not being held for his assistance to Honto. It was determined that the seventy-two year old blind male should not be charged, due to his lack of knowledge of the situation.  
  
"Honto, however, has been tried and sentenced today. She will stand before all at the town square tomorrow and admit her guilt. Punishment will be received at that time. In other news...."   
  
The newscaster went on, but his words fell on deaf ears. Mechanically, Mamoru reached for the television remote and turned it off. The occupants of the room remained in silence for some time.  
  
"What happened mama?" a small voice asked, her voice practically echoing throughout the room. Setsuna, Hotaru, and Rei had decided to join their brother and the two blonde sisters for pizza. With all the accusations that were swarming through Chiba Estates, they had thought that it would be less of a headache in the penthouse.  
  
Setsuna looked down at her daughter. She was so young and so naïve to what was going on in the world. It had been Mamoru's wish that she never know of the terrible things in life. Although she knew enough of the current world to survive, she lived her life more like the times before the war.  
  
"Nothing, Hotaru. Nothing that you need to worry about," Setsuna assured her daughter.  
  
Rising robotically, Usagi took her plate into the kitchen. Out of sight from Hotaru, Usagi allowed the tears to cascade down her face. She didn't need to look up to know that Mamoru had entered in the kitchen behind her.  
  
"I failed her," Usagi cried.  
  
"No, you did everything you could to save her," Mamoru insisted. He took Usagi into his arms and hugged her petite form to his body.  
  
"But it wasn't enough," Usagi continued, "I should have done more, tried harder. I should have been able to save her."  
  
"Shhh," Mamoru whispered as he held her tightly. "It will be okay, I promise."  
  
~*~   
  
Sleep that night had been difficult and filled with nightmares. Usagi couldn't remove the image of the poor, broken female from her head. Tesu had done something that no other female had done in a long time, she stood up for herself.   
  
Usagi decided that she was going to the town square. If Honto Tesu were to be "punished," then she would be there to support her. Although Mamoru was not thrilled with her decision, he agreed to let her go. He had also decided that he would go.  
  
The couple arrived at the town square at almost exactly noon. "High noon," they used to say in old western cowboy movies. Yet when high noon came, there would be no duel. There would be no fighting chance given, no chance to plea for innocence.   
  
Usagi and Mamoru stood towards the back of the crowd. Both were shocked to see just as many females as males present before the platform. When the mayor walked onto the platform, one female actually had the gall to "boo" at him. It was her luck that the officers and guards were unable to discern her voice from the others.  
  
"Bring out the accused." The mayor's voice boomed across the crowd. He stood regal and proud, as if this moment was the crowning achievement of his career.  
  
Onto the stage was pushed the female Honto Tesu. She stood naked before the crowd, her honey blonde hair flowing freely around her body. If it weren't for the fact that her hands and feet were bound in chains, she would have looked like a small angel.  
  
"Honto Tesu, you are accused of murder, what have you to say?" the mayor spoke to the female.   
  
"I killed three officers of the law and must be punished," Tesu said in a small voice. The line was forced and practiced, yet she stood tall and did not give way to the tears that were present in her eyes.  
  
"The punishment for murder is death. Yet," the mayor paused as several police officers made their way on stage. "I think that an example should be made here. No one has the right to kill. Much less a female kill male officers of the law."  
  
Tesu's eyes went wide as she watched the officers climb the steps of the stage. Each of the five officers held a weapon in their hand.  
  
Usagi cringed as she looked at the officers on the stage. She was able to recognize each and everyone as one of her attackers. The five males looked far too pleased for anything good to come of their presence.  
  
The mayor raised his hand. Tesu recognized the signal and knew that once his hand dropped, her torture would begin. Her courage built, and she screamed out to the crowd.  
  
"It's not my fault! They did this to me!" she yelled as loud as she could. Before she could yell out more, the mayor dropped his hand.   
  
Upon his signal, the officers began to beat Tesu down to the ground. Two officers had bats, one had a whip, and the other two had chains. As they repeatedly hit Tesu, she continued to scream out.  
  
"They raped me! They beat me!" Over and over again, she pleaded that it was not her fault, her voice dropping in strength as the beating continued. After about a minute, her body was lying in a broken pile and she was murmuring words over and over in a nearly silent voice.   
  
After a minute and a half, the mayor raised his hand, ceasing the officers. Not because he felt the need to stop them from the brutality they displayed, but because a riot had broken out in the crowd.   
  
Approximately ten females that had been standing towards the front of the stage began to scream out when the officers began to beat Tesu. Guards stood at the front of the stage to restrain them, yet they still fought back.   
  
The females were trying to scratch and hit at the guards in an attempt to get on the stage to Tesu. Male members of the crowd were outraged that these females dared such an attempt and began to hit out at the females to stop them.   
  
  
  
When the mayor stopped the officers on stage, they immediately saw the riot and jumped into the fray. Weapons still in hand, they knocked out several females easily, who were then dragged away from the stage. Those that tried to escape from the officers and the guards were quickly out numbered and placed in handcuffs.  
  
At the back of the crowd, Usagi stood silently beside Mamoru. In less than two minutes the officers had completely shattered the female on stage and managed to grab more victims from the crowd. She closed her eyes and desperately prayed for them all.  
  
With the riot ceased and the officers satisfied, the mayor decided that it was time to finish the execution. Another wave of his hand and the noose was placed around Tesu's neck. The rope was pulled up, bringing Tesu to a standing position.  
  
Distracted by a spot of blood on his tie, the mayor was brought back to the matter at hand when the guard asked for permission to drop the floor. "Oh yes, finish it and let's be done," the mayor replied nonchalantly. After all, this was just another job that had to be done in the day.  
  
With his word, the floor of the platform dropped and Tesu fell.   
  
Several of the females that were left in the crowd cried out. Tesu's body fell as if it were nothing but a sack of potatoes. Without even the ability to struggle, Tesu's eyes closed and she was gone.   
  
As the lifeless body was released from the rope, the crowd began to depart from the town square. Mamoru and Usagi turned to leave when a small sound caught Usagi's attention.  
  
"Mamoru, do you hear that?" she asked quietly, concern for what sounded like a child's tears.  
  
"What?" Mamoru asked as he turned to find Usagi already moving away from him and towards the sound. Mamoru quickly caught up to Usagi, who was looking behind a small bush. "What is it?" Mamoru asked.   
  
Usagi reached behind the bush and picked up a small squiggling object.  
  
"Let me go! Please let me go!" a small female voice cried out in fear. The little body was thrashing against Usagi's hold in an attempt to get free.  
  
"It's okay, I won't hurt you," Usagi tried to assure the small female. "What's your name?"  
  
The child continued to move until she realized that she was not being successful. After she stopped moving around, she looked up at the female that was holding her. Releasing the small sigh, she decided she might as well be cooperative. "My name's Chika."   
  
"Chika, what are you doing here by yourself?" Mamoru asked from over Usagi's shoulder.  
  
The tears that had been falling from the child's eyes began to flow again. "My momma!" she cried over and over again.   
  
A flash of fear shot through Usagi. "Chika, what is your family name?"  
  
Mamoru understood Usagi's question as was just as frightened of what the answer would be. Wiping the tears from her eyes, though more quickly replaced them, Chika answered, "My name is Honto. Honto Chika."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
LS: CHIKA! ;__; 


	7. Chapter 7

For Sale  
  
Chapter 7  
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Edited by: Lady Solo  
  
Rated: PG-13  
  
Standard Disclaimers Apply.  
  
Special thanks to all of you that help keep me sane during my insane moments. To my friends Kat, Sarah, and Roselle-thanks for always helping me keep my spirits high. I couldn't do this without you.  
  
To everyone at AI...thanks for all your support as I write this. I am really proud of this story and I hope that you enjoy reading it.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Usagi stepped out of her bedroom, quietly closing the door on the dimly lit room. "She finally fell asleep," she sighed, exhaustion showing clearly in her eyes.  
  
"I wonder how long she'll sleep this time," Mamoru said as he turned his equally tired eyes toward the clock on the VCR. The green glowing digits said that it was 4:22 in the morning.  
  
"I don't know. She was screaming so loud this time," Usagi reflected as she glanced back towards the bedroom door. After watching her mother brutally beaten and then hung, Chika was reluctant to go home with Mamoru and Usagi. Yet the warm and loving words that the two adults spoke to her gave Chika a good feeling and she trusted them.  
  
Upon returning to Chiba Estates, females began to swarm Mamoru and Usagi in an effort to get the details on the punishment of Honto Tesu. Immediately upon hearing her mother's name, Chika erupted in heart wrenching sobs. Without any words to the females around them, Mamoru huddled Usagi, who was holding the small Chika in her arms, into the elevator and up to the penthouse.  
  
For over four hours they tried to settle Chika down. Yet the small child refused stop crying and would not eat anything. Finally, after what seemed to be an endless supply of tears, Chika fell asleep in Usagi's embrace. Transporting Chika from the couch to the bed hadn't been difficult, but the child refused to leave Usagi's arms. When she was finally on the bed and away from Usagi, Chika immediately felt the loss of warmth, woke up, and started crying again.  
  
Such had been the night for over six hours. Mamoru and Usagi were both physically, mentally, and emotionally drained. Without even a word to each other, the two dropped onto the couch, Usagi laying her head on Mamoru's shoulder and he resting his head on hers.   
  
Within five minutes the two were fast asleep.  
  
~*~  
  
The sun shone in on the side of the balcony and sent a single ray of light in through the balcony doors to land on a small child who was staring with a confused look at the two adults sleeping in a pile on the couch.  
  
They were the two people that Chika remembered had helped her the day before. They looked so sleepy to her, but she really needed to wake them up to help her.  
  
"'Scuse me?" she whispered quietly at first. When neither grown up had moved, Chika moved towards them.  
  
"Ummm," she started as she poked the blonde female's leg. "Female?"  
  
Usagi twitched slightly at the poke, but didn't wake. Chika began to the infamous dance that all small children do...the potty dance.  
  
"Female," Chika whined louder and saw that the female actually twisted some in her seat. This brought the little female to a conclusion of what she needed to do.  
  
"HELP!" The little child screamed at the top of her lungs, effectively causing the two grown ups to jump from their seat and practically hit the ceiling.  
  
Looks of complete shock and confusion were mirrored on both Usagi's and Mamoru's faces, causing Chika to laugh. Her little laugh alerted them to her presence and the day before immediately flashed in their heads.  
  
"Chika?" Usagi asked, as if unsure about what was going on.  
  
The little girl nodded but continued to do the "potty dance."  
  
"I need to go potty," Chika danced around as she pulled at Usagi's pants.  
  
"Okay," Usagi responded, a little confused why the child hadn't gone yet. Then looking at the child, she realized that she probably couldn't go by herself yet, or perhaps it was the little overalls that were the problem.  
  
With a small sigh, Usagi led Chika to the bathroom. Mamoru smiled at the picture of the two females walking hand in hand down the hall. He could tell that his life was in for quite the change.  
  
~*~  
  
By the time Usagi and Chika had returned, Mamoru had set the kitchen table and put out a couple boxes of cereal and some milk. As the two females entered the room, he noticed that they both appeared to have freshened up, including Chika's light brown curls now up in little pigtails.   
  
"Are you ready for some breakfast sweetie?" Mamoru asked Chika as she struggled to get into the large chair at the table. She gave a big smile as an answer and stretched for a box in the middle of the table. Mamoru reached to help her with the cereal and then with her milk.  
  
Usagi stood to the side and watched the scene before her. Mamoru was being so sweet and caring to the little child. It made her melt inside and her feelings for him flared in her chest.  
  
"And what about you sweetie?" Mamoru said with a joking smile as he headed towards Usagi, planting a small kiss on her cheek. "Are you ready for some Coco Puffs too?"  
  
With a little laugh and a slight slap on the arm, Usagi made her way past him and sat next to Chika.  
  
"Chika," Usagi prompted to get the child's attention. "Honey, how old are you?"  
  
Chika immediately dropped her spoon and lifted her right hand into the air and put up three fingers. "I'm three!" she stated proudly and puffed out her chest as if it was the greatest thing in her entire life.  
  
"Wow! Three years old, you are such a big girl," Usagi said cheerfully. Yet an immediate look of fear crossed the little girls face.  
  
Lifting a finger up to her mouth, Chika made a "shhh" noise. "You can't say that!"  
  
"I can't say what?" Usagi replied, confusion marring her face.  
  
Chika lowered her voice to a whisper and Usagi found that she had to lean in slightly to hear her. "You can't say girl, it's against the rules."  
  
Usagi then realized that she had indeed called Chika a girl and was shocked at herself for doing so. It was a memory from her past to hear her mom call her a "big girl" without fear of what a male would say. Even through the years at the camp and all her training, she simply slipped.  
  
Realizing that Usagi was greatly concerned and feeling sorry that Chika knew no life other than that of the males versus the females, Mamoru decided to step in. "Chika, honey, it is okay to say girl here. You won't get into trouble, I promise you."  
  
Chika nodded her head in understanding, although she really didn't. Her mommy had always said that it was bad to say girl and boy and lady and man. But this male was so nice to her, so she decided that she could believe him.  
  
Mamoru watched as Chika seemed to go though the deliberation of the whole concept in her head before returning to her bowl of cereal. As much as he wanted to let Chika finish her breakfast, he still had an important question that he needed to ask.  
  
Kneeling down on the floor next to her chair, Mamoru asked in a soft and gentle voice, "Chika, what would you think of staying her with me and Usagi?"  
  
Chika raised her head up to meet him eye to eye. "Would she be my new mommy?" She asked as she pointed to Usagi.  
  
Usagi nodded her head slowly, a large smile playing on her face.   
  
"And would you be my daddy?" She asked Mamoru, who was still kneeling next to her. He too nodded his head.   
  
Chika sat quietly, thinking about what the male had just told her. Small tears formed in her eyes as she remembered her mother. "Can I still miss my old mommy?"  
  
At this, tears began to well up Usagi's eyes. Quickly reaching across to the small child, Usagi enveloped her in a hug. "Of course sweetie. We just want to take care of you. The way your mommy would have wanted you to be taken care of."  
  
Chika pulled back slightly from the hug and smiled. Her silent agreement to the deal was concluded with an additional hug from Mamoru. The three were now a family.  
  
~*~  
  
"I'm sure that Usa would have called if something were up," Minako whispered to herself as she and Rei stood in the elevator heading to the penthouse.  
  
"You know how rumors are around here Minako. I'm sure it's just some kind of misunderstanding, that's all," Rei said to assure the blonde. Yet neither female was quite certain of what, or who, to expect when they reached the top floor of the estate.  
  
Rumors started slower this time than the last bit of juicy gossip involving Mamoru and Usagi had. But, as always, the fire spread and the building was consumed with the news of the little female that Usagi had in her arms when they returned from the town square. This time, however, no one had any idea of what was going on.   
  
The elevator door opened and the bell signaled their arrival to the penthouse. Walking quietly into the greeting room, Rei and Minako looked towards each other with questioning looks. Everything was silent.  
  
Stepping into the hallway, the two females made their way into the living room. There was still not a single sound.  
  
"Usagi," Minako said, a slight tone of confusion present in her voice.   
  
"I'm here!" Usagi said as she popped up from the side of the couch.   
  
From down the hall, previously unobserved by Rei and Minako, ran a toddler yelling, "I found you!"   
  
"Thank heavens," came a masculine voice from under the kitchen table. "I thought I would be cramped in there all day."  
  
After tagging Usagi on the shoulder in a triumphant display, Chika quickly ran over to Mamoru. "I found you too!" She shouted gleefully as Mamoru scooped up the giggling child.  
  
The two visitors just stood in awe at the scene playing out in front of them.  
  
Minako slowly raised her hand in the air as if she were in school and needed to be called on to ask a question.  
  
Mamoru noticed the two females and gave a slight laugh at their very bewildered faces. With the toddler still in his arms, he walked over to his sister. "Morning Rei. How are you?"  
  
"Ma-ma-mamoru?" Rei stuttered out in what had to be her first ever episode of complete tongue-tied-ness. Her eyes darted from his, to the child, and back to him.   
  
Usagi was watching the scene and decided that she needed to step in, at least before her sister lost all blood to the hand that was still raised in the air.  
  
"Yes Minako, what do you want?" Usagi asked, slightly on the sarcastic side.  
  
"I'll make it simple," Minako started as she brought down her hand. She seemed more composed than the startled Rei, yet still needed a lot of explaining. "Who, what, where, when, why?"  
  
Usagi laughed, but decided to answer in the exact manner as asked. "Chika, child, here, yesterday, we'rehernewparents."  
  
Chika clapped her hands happily from her spot in Mamoru's arms at Usagi's quick speech. "Mommy silly!"  
  
And the jaws of the two new aunts dropped practically to the floor.  
  
~*~  
  
"I don't know who she thinks she is," Beryl ranted as she paced around the living room of her apartment. "What does she think she is doing? Mamoru is mine and she's trying to use some kid to keep him from me!" She shouted and threw a nearby vase against the wall.  
  
"Beryl," Mikia, one of Beryl's roommates, attempted to speak during Beryl's ranting, "I wouldn't worry about her. She can't keep his interest."  
  
"Yeah," Shinna, the other roommate, added, "She can't hold a candle to you."  
  
Hearing the compliments in her favor, Beryl gave a sickening grin of triumph. "You're right of course."  
  
Beryl gave a wave of her arm, dismissing her two worshipping roommates so that she could have some time alone to think. As she looked out the window and caught sight of the sunset, she sighed.   
  
"But how long will this blonde twit be in my way," she spoke to herself. "Perhaps I can speed up the process a little."  
  
The sun set, casting a dark shadow over Beryl and the evil grin that was on sprawled across her face.  
  
~*~  
  
A few days passed and the verified rumors launched a series of questions to both Mamoru and Usagi that neither felt very comfortable answering. But with a few assuring words from Mamoru to the females, a sweet smile, and his charming good looks, the females of the building were once again satiated.  
  
But the days did not pass so easily for the occupants of the penthouse. While Chika was easily entertained and happy during the day, she slept very poorly. What little sleep she did get was interrupted by horrible nightmares of her mother's death. Mamoru and Usagi were exhausted with their loss of sleep at night and constant use of energy during the day while dealing with an energetic three-year-old.  
  
Luckily, Aunt Minako and Aunt Rei decided to handle the day and give the two new parents a much-deserved break. The day started slowly, with the two sleeping in and not leaving the bedroom until late. Then came a late breakfast and finally a peaceful stroll in the small park down the block.  
  
Upon returning to the estate, the parents found Aunt Rei slightly frazzled, Aunt Minako rather crazed looking, and Chika smiling quite contently. Without a word to the "Aunts," Mamoru and Usagi ran to their bedroom and locked the door before any protest could be made.  
  
"Safe," Usagi breathed out as she attempted to bring her heart rate back down to normal. She knew that both Rei and Minako were fit, but she had never guessed that they were such quick runners.  
  
"Thank goodness," Mamoru sighed as he flopped himself onto the bed in the center of the room. Usagi unceremoniously dropped herself down on the bed next to him.  
  
"How long do you think we have?" Usagi asked, gazing at the clock on the nightstand.   
  
"Not long. They will start trying to break down the door soon," Mamoru laughed. Chika was a really sweet girl, but between the four adults, none of them had ever had experience with a three-year-old. Much less a three-year-old with a lack of sleep, that made the situation ten times worse.  
  
Reveling in the peace and quiet of the room, Usagi closed her eyes and let out a loud sigh, completely relaxing her body in the process. Mamoru turned his head towards the peacefully resting female, immediately taken in by her beauty. After spending the day outdoors, Usagi had a slight redness to her cheeks, where the sun and wind had kissed her.   
  
Feeling Mamoru's eyes on her, she opened her own and turned in his direction. He had an almost goofy smile on his lips and a strange look in his eyes. "What?" She asked, not understanding why he was just staring at her.  
  
"You're beautiful," he said in a whisper. Usagi's cheeks brightened again, turning a very flattering shade of crimson. Mamoru quickly closed the inches between them and kissed Usagi lightly.   
  
Usagi felt almost light headed. Although they had kissed, to the point of what teenagers of old would call "making-out," Usagi had never felt so much passion from Mamoru.  
  
When he pulled slightly away from Usagi, he opened his eyes to find her eyes still closed. "Usagi," he breathed, "Look at me."  
  
Usagi took in his words. It was not a command, but a request. She slowly opened her eyes to find herself nose to nose with him. Her heart was hammering in her chest, simply because of the way he was looking at her.  
  
"Usagi, I have something I have to tell you," Mamoru said slowly. Usagi nodded her head in understanding, not able to form words to tell him to go on. "I think, no, I know..."  
  
Usagi felt her blood flowing through her body. Time seemed to be stopping around her so that she could pick up every detail of this moment. "Yes," she encouraged him to go on.  
  
"Usagi, I love you." The words, so solid in meaning, cleared his throat and left him wondering if he had actually said them out loud or in his head. However, he noticed small tears forming in the corners of Usagi's eyes, indicating that he did finally tell her.  
  
"Mamoru," she started, letting the few tears cascade down her face. Never had she felt so happy in her life. "I love you too."  
  
The sentence had barely escaped her mouth before Mamoru claimed her lips in another kiss. This time, however, the kiss was much less innocent. Mamoru lifted his body off the bed slightly, only to bring himself down over Usagi's small frame. He brought his tongue to her lips, which she obediently opened to invite him into her mouth.  
  
Usagi brought her hands up and wrapped them around Mamoru's neck, holding him as close to her as possible. Mamoru, on the other hand, was allowing his hands to move much more freely across Usagi's person. A small moan in the back of her throat let Mamoru know that he was enjoying herself. Only a moment later found him groaning back as she allowed herself to return the favor.  
  
~*~  
  
Minako approached the bedroom that Mamoru and Usagi shared since Chika had moved into Usagi's old room. She was tired and hungry and needed a break from the toddler. Just as she raised her hand to knock on the door, she heard a strange, yet oddly familiar sound coming from inside.  
  
Dropping her hand, Minako smiled and crept away from the door. She approached the living room, where Rei and Chika were playing "horsy" on the carpet.  
  
"Did you try?" Rei said in an almost tearful sounding voice. She, like her blonde friend, had been exhausted and ready to go back to her own apartment.  
  
"Um, no, not exactly," Minako blushed lightly as she thought about what her sister was most likely doing behind the door.  
  
Rei, however, did not give Minako a chance to explain as she quickly ditched her "jockey" and stomped down the hall to the door. Much like Minako, her hand immediately paused right before knocking. She turned around and walked back to the living room, the same knowing smile on her face as Minako had.  
  
"Mommy and daddy come play now?" Chika asked in an energetic voice as she raced down the hall towards the door. Minako quickly swept in and grabbed up the child.  
  
"Mommy and daddy are still busy honey," Minako supplied as an answer to the child's unasked question...why? "But I'm sure that Aunt Rei would love to play horsy again!"  
  
Rei shot Minako a look that had the blonde praying for her life. She should have known better than to cross the fiery female, but Minako couldn't resist seeing Rei forced to crawl around on all fours.  
  
"No, no more horsy," Chika said with a yawn as she sat down and picked up a nearby doll.   
  
"Chika, are you tired?" Rei asked, although the answer was very obvious. It was nearing eight o'clock and the young child was due to go to bed.  
  
"No," yawn, "I'm not sleepy," she said as she automatically stood up and started to walk to her bedroom. Minako and Rei followed the little girl into her room and helped her change into her pajamas.  
  
"Sweetie, why don't you go to the potty and then we'll read you a story," Minako suggested and Chika immediately complied.  
  
Minako and Rei sat on Chika's bed until a loud scream erupted from the master bedroom. Both aunts shot up and ran to the bedroom door. Finding it still locked, they came upon a sudden realization.  
  
"The bathroom!" Both shouted in unison as they entered the large bathroom, only to find it empty and the opposite door opened. The door that lead to the master bedroom.  
  
"Chika!" Minako shouted as she barreled into the bedroom. Rei was right behind her. Neither expected to see the scene before them, ever, in their life.  
  
"Minako!" Usagi burst out in a wail. She was lying on the bed next to Mamoru, both with sheets pulled up to their necks. Chika was sitting happily between the two, cuddling up to Mamoru's arm.  
  
"I'm so sorry Usa," Minako blushed bright red as she reached across Mamoru to pluck Chika from the bed.  
  
"She was just suppose to go to the bathroom," Rei added as she began to back out of the room, back into the bathroom. Minako was backing into the bathroom as well, with a squirming Chika in her hands.  
  
"No, mommy, daddy," the little girl cried out to her new parents.  
  
The bathroom door shut with a thud, causing the two occupants of the room to finally register all that had happened. A moment of silence passed and both Mamoru and Usagi began laughing uncontrollably.  
  
"I suppose that we should go say goodnight," Usagi suggested, once her laughing had begun to die down.  
  
"How are we supposed to explain this?" Mamoru asked, but Usagi gave him a look that he had not seen often, utter and total embarrassment. "What?"  
  
"If we don't hurry, we won't get to explain," Usagi replied, jumping from the bed and grabbing a bathrobe. She turned to find Mamoru still sitting in the bed, watching her. "What?"  
  
"Nothing, just enjoying the view," He smirked when she found herself blushing once more. Rising from the bed, he too grabbed a robe and found himself now under the scrutiny.  
  
"And what a view it is," Usagi commented with a smile. It was Mamoru's time to lightly blush.  
  
"Come on, we have to hurry," Usagi said anxiously as she opened the door and went towards Chika's bedroom door. Turning the knob, she found that she was too late.  
  
"Boom booming?" Chika asked her Aunt Minako, who nodded her blonde head enthusiastically.  
  
"Minako!" Usagi hissed as she entered the door.  
  
"What? That's what mom called it when she explained it all to me," Minako protested in her defense. She knew that her sister had the same talk before, why was she so startled.  
  
"But you were ten, not three," Usagi said as she placed her hands on her hips. Mamoru stood behind Usagi, a bright red staining his cheeks as his sister looked at him from across the room.  
  
"Mommy," Chika said, gaining Usagi's attention from her sister. "What's boom booming?"  
  
Three of the four adults in the room turned scarlet from head to two, while Minako just smiled on. "It's when..." Minako's words were promptly muffled when Usagi jumped on her back and tackled her to the ground.  
  
Her question not answered, Chika turned to her daddy, who slowly crept back out of the room and into the hallway.   
  
Rei, being the most lucid adult in the room decided to step in. She sat on the side of the bed and put on her best, "I'm an adult" look. "It's a game that adults play," Rei said with a smile, before thinking of her lack of a love life. "Well, a game that mommies and daddies play."  
  
Chika smiled at her aunt lovingly. "I love you," she said as she yawned.   
  
Rei smiled at the sweet child. "I love you too," she said as she leaned down to kiss the child on the forehead. She stood up from the side of the bed and walked to the doorway, turning off the light in the room.  
  
Stepping out of the room, Rei sidestepped the Usagi-Minako pile that was still rolling around on the floor. The two sisters had each other in a headlock, an interesting sight. Rei was just grateful that she didn't have to drag the two out of the bedroom.  
  
Spotting Mamoru hiding in the living room, Rei made her way to his side. "She's okay," she replied, knowing that Mamoru knew what she meant. All was explained in a way that would not cause the young child psychological problems in the future.  
  
"Thanks Rei," Mamoru said as he enveloped her in a hug.  
  
"No problem," Rei smiled. She was happy that her brother was finally opening up. For too many years after their parents' death he had been depressed. Usagi had brought him out of his shell and made him live again.  
  
From down the hall, a small scream was heard and suddenly Minako went flying by, grabbing Rei's arm as she passed. "Sorry Mamoru, gotta jet!" She yelled as she dragged her friend to the elevator.   
  
Usagi came running down the hall, muttering curses, before Mamoru stopped her by wrapping his arms around her. "I can still get her if I catch her before the elevator closes," she protested. Her breath was ragged and Mamoru found the little war between the sisters too funny.  
  
"Wouldn't you rather just get me?" Mamoru whispered huskily in her ear, causing her anger to immediately melt.  
  
"That sounds much more appealing," Usagi agreed as she was lead back to their bedroom.  
  
In the other room, Chika was sleeping soundly for the first time in over a week.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
You can blame LS for the Boom-booming.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A month passed and Chika's nightmares were generally only occurring one to two times a week. Life started to become normal again with Mamoru returning to work and Usagi starting to work in the estate again, Chika by her side.  
  
With Chika more visible to the females of the estate, Usagi found herself under the bombardment of a lot of questions. The simplest were answered with a simple yes, while the most inquisitive females caused a blush to cover Usagi's cheeks. For the most part, the females accepted Chika, for who could deny love to a three-year-old child whose mother was killed before her eyes; especially when the mother was killed fighting for the rights of females everywhere.  
  
Of course there are exceptions to every rule. In this case, the exception was Beryl. Her rage towards the small female grew daily, along with her hatred of Usagi. She watched on as Usagi cleaned in the kitchen with the toddler always at her side. She watched from the window of her apartment as Mamoru, Usagi, and Chika went for walks in the park. She watched as Usagi and Chika walked Mamoru to the lobby to share kisses and hugs before he left for work. Day after day, Beryl watched, planned, and waited. For what, she wasn't sure, but she knew that she needed to wait.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Mamoru?" Usagi questioned as she stretched out her arms. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and looked around the room. She didn't hear him in the bathroom either. For some time now, she had become accustomed to waking up with him by her side; finding him gone was a little disconcerting.   
  
Usagi began to lift herself up from the bed, concern for her family suddenly flooding her senses. Yet before she could make it out of the bed, both the bathroom and bedroom doors swung open.  
  
"SURPRISE!" Was yelled from both doors, startling Usagi to the point where she jumped up and fell off the bed.  
  
Laughter filled the room as Mamoru quickly made his way to a disheveled Usagi. He helped her up as everyone made their way into the bedroom.  
  
"Happy Birthday Mommy," Chika cheered and clapped her hands from her perch in her grandmother's arms.  
  
The toddler bounded out of Ikuko's arms and ran to Usagi. The blonde picked up the little female and looked at everyone in the room. Rei, Minako, Setsuna, and Shingo had burst into the room from the bathroom door, whereas Mamoru, Hotaru, Ikuko, and Chika had entered from the bedroom door.  
  
"Are we ready?" A quiet voice asked from the bedroom doorway, before walking in without waiting for an answer. From the door entered Makoto carrying a large birthday cake with several candles lit on top.  
  
"Happy Birthday to you," the entire group sang as tears formed in Usagi's eyes. "Happy Birthday to you," Makoto came closer to Usagi, presenting the cake to her. "Happy Birthday to Usagi (Usa/Mommy)," the burning candles reflected in the blonde's eyes as the tears began to stream down her cheeks. "Happy Birthday to you!"  
  
Makoto held the cake as Usagi leaned down to blow out the candles. Chika clapped happily as her mommy blew out the candles, but her joyful smile fell when she saw Usagi's tears.  
  
"Mommy sad?" The small child asked as she tried to wipe away the tears.  
  
"Mommy's just happy sweetie," Usagi assured Chika who nodded her understanding, even though she really didn't understand at all.  
  
All day Usagi was bombarded by females wishing her "Happy Birthday" and giving her hugs with heartfelt wishes. For dinner, Makoto made Usagi's favorite foods and baked several more cakes that the females feasted on happily after singing "Happy Birthday to you" once more.  
  
Mamoru smiled in happiness. Usagi, the love of his life, was having a wonderful birthday, something that she hadn't been able to do in many years. Her smile stretched from ear to ear, a smile that Mamoru adored. As of this moment, Mamoru knew, without a doubt, that he wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with Usagi.  
  
At the third table in the dining hall, in the last seat, sat a female with flaming red hair. She was the only person in the dining hall who wasn't smiling, laughing, and enjoying herself. Her eyes narrowed on Usagi, smiling happily at the front of the middle table, surrounded by all her "loved ones." Beryl knew in that moment that her wait was over.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Rei sat behind the front desk in the lobby of Chiba Estates. Of all the work she did throughout the estate, working the front desk was her favorite, mostly due to the quiet nature of the job. Rarely did she actually need to greet anyone entering the building, as the females didn't pay much attention to her and it was rare to have anyone else enter the building. Mamoru had only required the doors locked when he was at work for the day, so she didn't even have to work the annoying buzzer system today.  
  
Earlier, Rei had spoke with Usagi and Mamoru before they left on a walk with Chika. They were due back soon and Rei's shift was almost over, so she planned on spending the afternoon with her brother and family. Even Setsuna had agreed that she would come visit with Hotaru. Her sister had managed to escape babysitting Chika, pleading that she had her own daughter to take care of. Rei supposed it was a good excuse, or would have been had the thirteen-year-old Hotaru not offered to baby-sit herself.  
  
Rei was laughing at the thought when the front door swung open. She smiled, figuring it was her brother entering. Her smile quickly fell. Four males in officer's uniforms entered through the door, one holding a white document in his hands. Rei pushed a red button under the desk before another thought could cross her mind.  
  
"Good afternoon sirs," Rei spoke respectively, bowing her head slightly as the males approached the desk. "How may I be of service to you today?"  
  
The male holding the white document in his hand spoke, "I need to speak to your master."  
  
Rei acknowledged the male, but frowned as if she had suddenly become sad, "I'm sorry sirs, but he is out right now. He is due back soon if you would like to wait."  
  
The officer, whose name badge said "Smith," scowled and spoke with a growl, "That won't be necessary female. This is a warrant to search the premises." He flashed the papers, not allowing Rei to get a proper look at the document.  
  
"Do as you must sirs," Rei said with a subservient tone. She really hated to sound so complying, but she knew she had no other choice.   
  
The males moved away from the desk and went to the elevator. While they weren't watching, Rei slipped off three keys from the key ring that sat at the front desk. She quickly threw the keys into an envelope that had been previously addressed, for such an event, to Boka Miko and placed it in the pile of outgoing mail. Ironically, Boka Miko's address was the same as Chiba Mamoru's office address.  
  
Rei tried to look busy as the males returned from the elevator.  
  
"Where are the elevator keys?" Officer Smith said with a snarl.  
  
"I am sorry sirs, but only my master has those keys," Rei replied with an innocent smile.  
  
Officer Smith growled again and his fellow officers were also starting to look quite annoyed. Yet Smith felt that he was a very intelligent male, especially when he snatched up a set of keys that he noticed hanging on a peg on the desk. He turned to Officer Tomba, "Watcher her. Jameston and Wilson, with me."  
  
Rei simply smiled at the officer in front of her and continued on with her work, or so it seemed. She was actually typing up a quick letter to Mamoru explaining what had happened so far. Just as the paper came off the printer, the front door of the estate opened again.  
  
Mamoru's smile immediately fell as he noticed the officer standing at the front desk. Whispering quick words to Usagi, Mamoru made his way to the desk while Usagi led Chika down the hall to the elevator.  
  
"Good afternoon sir," Rei said as she stood and bowed before Mamoru. If the officer hadn't been enough to alert Mamoru to the fact that something was amiss, her formal behavior certainly would. "This urgent message was just received via e-mail and there are several officers here to see you."  
  
Mamoru acknowledged the officer before taking the "urgent message" from Rei. He read her quickly typed words before crumbling up the paper with a scowl on his face.  
  
"Should I send back a response sir?" Rei asked, hoping that he could give her further indication of what she should do.  
  
"There will be no need for that," Mamoru replied curtly, but looked at her with eyes full of caring. "I will handle the situation personally."  
  
Just as Rei nodded her understanding, the other three officers returned from the elevator. Mamoru hopped that Usagi had no difficulty passing by the officers to board the elevator.  
  
Officer Smith noticed Mamoru and immediately recognized him from his multiple appearances in the newspaper. "Chiba Mamoru, I need to have a word with you."  
  
"Ah yes, Officer," Mamoru stopped to read the male's name on his badge, "Smith. How can I help you?" Mamoru asked with a cocky, yet somehow still polite smile.  
  
"We received an anonymous tip this morning in regards to your operating this estate as a safe-house. I have a warrant to search the floors below the basement," Smith said as he flashed Mamoru the warrant.  
  
Mamoru nodded his head and reached in his pocket to remove his keys. "Feel free to search as needed," he said as he handed the keys to the officer.  
  
"Thank you," Smith replied with a cynical smile. Mamoru followed the three officers (Officer Tomba was still keeping an eye on Rei-both eyes really, as he was quite taken by her beauty) to the elevator. Smith noticed this and did not want Chiba bothering him during the search. "Chiba, I would prefer that you not accompany us."  
  
"I understand. However, I would like to retire to my penthouse now and you have the keys and control of the elevator," Mamoru replied as if reciting a dry and boring fact from a textbook.  
  
Officer Smith nodded his understanding, found the key on the chain for the penthouse, and the elevator started its accent to the top floor. The elevator door opened and Usagi rushed to the door with a glass of water in her hand. She bowed down low and held out the glass of water for Mamoru.  
  
"Welcome home master," she said with a quiet voice, still bowed down.  
  
"Thank you," he replied dismissively, removing the glass from her hands before walking past her.  
  
Usagi looked up as the elevator doors began to close. Although the moment was brief, she found herself able to identify two of the three officers as her previous attackers.  
  
Body shaking, Usagi mechanically made her way to the living room where Mamoru was waiting for her. Immediately sensing her distress and pretty sure he knew the cause, he grabbed her into a hug and whispered softly into her ear, "I'm here; they can't hurt you."  
  
Several minutes passed, Mamoru keeping Usagi tightly wrapped in his arms. A small creaking noise alerted the couple to the small child walking up behind them.  
  
"I can't sleep," Chika said as she rubbed her very tired looking eyes.  
  
Usagi looked down at the small child. Her face immediately cleared of all fear and a look of joy came across her features. She needed to be strong for Chika. "It's okay honey. I'll come read you a story," Usagi said in a very loving voice.  
  
Mamoru smiled at the two as they headed back to Chika's room. He would give his life before he let harm come to them or any member of his family. He hoped that the previous evacuation drills had properly prepared the people living on the sub-floors for the search that was going on.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Clear!" A male voice shouted from the far end of the first sub-floor.  
  
"Clear here too!" Another voice shouted.  
  
Officer Smith gave one last look over the area he was standing and he wanted to growl. The "anonymous tip" was just a false lead and waste of time. The only thing the officers were able to find was a bunch of stacked cots and mattresses and some other supplies. The two sub-floors were used as an emergency shelter for the large estate. Signs for tornado, bombing, and other such disastrous events were posted on the walls with directions on what to properly do in such an emergency.  
  
Furious with the female who had called the station, Smith directed the other two officers to the elevator. Inserting the key to the penthouse, the three officers rode up to the top floor in silence.  
  
The elevator bell rang as the doors opened. "Chiba?" Smith questioned as he entered the penthouse. He walked into the hall and heard the sound of the television in the living room. Following the sound, he entered the living room to find Mamoru sitting on the couch and Usagi kneeling on the floor with her head lowered.  
  
"We are through with our search," Smith spoke, assuming that Mamoru knew that he was there.  
  
Without turning to acknowledge the officer, Mamoru waved his hand dismissively, "That's fine."  
  
A little disgruntled at his lace of attention, Officer Smith grumbled slightly before speaking again. "I need to know if you are in possession of a female named Beryl."  
  
At the mention of Beryl's name, Usagi's head snapped up to look at Mamoru. He, curious as well of what the officer wanted with the rude redhead, turned to give his full attention to the male behind him. "Yes, Beryl is my property. May I ask why you need to know?"  
  
"Our tip was from her. We only provide anonymity to those who actually provide useful information. Your female provided us false information and will be placed under arrest," Smith informed Mamoru.   
  
Usagi's face paled. As much as she did not like Beryl, no one deserved what happened to females in that jail. Beryl was attractive and there was no doubt in the blonde's mind that Beryl would suffer as she had.  
  
"And when will I be able to retrieve her?" Mamoru asked, as if this was just another inconvenience to add to his day. Truly, he felt as Usagi did.  
  
"Sorry sir, but in this case, she must go to trial before the judge. Our call tracing and audio tapes of the conversation will certainly find her guilty," Smith replied with a smile. Nothing pleased him more than a nice looking female tied to the wall, unable to resist him. Knowing Chiba Mamoru's taste in females, he was certain that this Beryl would be just as tasty as the blonde sitting on the floor before him had been.   
  
Mamoru stood from the couch and made his way to the officer. Usagi quickly stood and walked two paces behind Mamoru with her head bowed. "I understand, do as you must."  
  
Mamoru held out his hand to retrieve his keys from the officer. He immediately walked into the elevator and pushed two buttons, one for the eighth and one for the first floor. The officers entered the elevator behind Mamoru and Usagi, but before Smith could question Mamoru about the two floors being requested, Mamoru spoke. "You will find Beryl in apartment 8-C. She has red hair. I will be down in the lobby to see you out."  
  
The elevator was silent the rest of the ride to the eighth floor, where the officers stepped out without saying a word. The doors closed again and Usagi felt her body fall towards Mamoru. She felt weak and nauseous. Mamoru wrapped an arm around the frail female, hoping that all that was happening would not reopen old wounds.  
  
Mamoru already had to calm the near hysterical Usagi when he informed her that the officers were here to search the sub-floors. The escape route used in case of evacuation was known to very few and Mamoru had never thought to let Usagi know of the secret tunnels used to house the people after a quick disassembly of the beds, dressers, and dividers was accomplished. The most recent drill had been completed in fifteen minutes. A little long, but luckily Rei had been able to keep the officers sufficiently stalled.  
  
The doors opened to the first floor and the couple made their way to the lobby. Rei and Mica, the female who was to relieve Rei of her duty for the day, both had a slightly worried expression on their faces. Mica was a very intelligent female, as all the females who worked the front desk needed to be, and she knew that if her master's sister had concern, then she had better be concerned too. Unfortunately, they were unable to express that concern to each other or to Mamoru and Usagi as they entered the lobby. Officer Tomba was still standing guard at the desk, ensuring that nothing suspicious happen.  
  
Five minutes passed silently in the lobby before the elevator doors opened again. The five occupants of the lobby could hear struggling and cursing as the three officers dragged Beryl, kicking and screaming, down the hall.  
  
Seeing Usagi standing next to Mamoru in the lobby enraged Beryl further and she attempted to lunge at the blonde female. "I swear I'll get you!" She yelled over and over again at Usagi, who stood dumbfounded as to why she was the source of the redhead's anger.  
  
"That's enough of this. Tomba!" Smith shouted as they neared the desk. Tomba, immediately guessing his superiors wish, quickly pulled a piece of material from his pocket, placed it in Beryl's mouth, and tied it around the back of her head.   
  
Her cries muted, Beryl continued to struggle, although her cause was for not, as the fourth officer took position in holding her, effectively stopping most of her movement.  
  
Officer Smith turned to see Mamoru standing by the desk and gave a slight nod of the head, "Thanks for all your cooperation."   
  
Mamoru was unsure if the comment was sarcastic or not, but refrained from replying. He merely watched the officers leave the building, hauling Beryl along with them. Once the door was shut, Mamoru dropped his head into his hands and leaned against the desk. His body and actions were ragged, as if he hadn't used his muscles in some time.  
  
Usagi placed a hand on Mamoru's shoulder, understanding his pain. Mamoru tried to help all the females in the building. He cared for their safety and well being immensely, even those that he didn't care for personally.  
  
"This has got to stop," Mamoru muttered under his breath. He felt Usagi's hand on his shoulder and his resolve solidified. His heart burned and his body tensed. His mind screamed, but the words did not echo in his mouth. One thought kept recycling in his brain...This Will Stop!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Wow...*looks up* that's the longest chapter I think that I've written in a long while. I hope it was well worth the wait!  
  
Please review...I'd really appreciate it. 


	8. Chapter 8

For Sale  
  
Chapter 8  
  
By: Chibi J  
  
Edited by: Lady Solo Lector  
  
Rated: PG-13  
  
As always, I do not own the majority of characters in this story. Those that I do own and this story are mine exclusively and I ask that you please do not take from me without asking.  
  
In addition, my sincerest, most heartfelt thanks to all my dear friends at Aria's Ink. You all hold a place in my heart.  
  
For those of you who have asked if I have read "A Handmaid's Tale" I have. I know this has a similar concept, but I promise that it is only so to a point. This has completely been made from my little brain.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Mamoru was pacing around the lobby in a non-stop circle. His nerve-wracking steps were enough to make anyone who had seen him anxious. Luckily, after the officers left the building, Mamoru told Usagi to go and check on Chika and that he would join her as soon as he could. Immediately after she left, the pacing began. Mamoru's mind was flooded with concern-concern for his love, his family, and all of the people that lived under his care at the estate.  
  
An hour after the officers were gone and there seemed to be no risk of their return, Mamoru instructed Rei to give the all clear. The people who had been hiding in the tunnels of the sub-floors gathered in small groups, trying to figure out what had happened.  
  
Their wondering didn't last long, as Mamoru soon came to speak to the people on each floor. With a heavy heart, Mamoru told everyone that the building would be going "Code Red" and they needed to pack up their belongings.  
  
As he rode the elevator to the penthouse, Mamoru debated how he would break the news to Usagi. His thoughts were put on hold as the elevator door opened and a toddler with curly light brown pigtails ran and clung to his leg.  
  
"Hi sweetie," Mamoru smiled softly at the little female.  
  
"Daddy, Mommy burnt my snack again," Chika said as she looked up at Mamoru with her chocolate eyes.   
  
"She did!" he said as if in shock. Usagi wasn't a bad cook and the time she had been working in the kitchen with Makoto had helped improve her skills. But the occasional burnt grilled cheese sandwich did make an appearance at snack time.  
  
Usagi walked towards Mamoru, where Chika had caught him by the elevator, with her hands on her hips. "It wasn't that bad," she said with a sigh.  
  
Mamoru smiled at Usagi and hobbled towards her, Chika still attached to his legs. "I'm sure it wasn't," he said with a smile as he leaned down to kiss her gently on the cheek.  
  
"So, how are things?" Usagi asked, wondering what had been happening in the last two hours.  
  
"I arranged for Rei, Sets, and Hotaru to watch Chika. They will be up to get her in a half-hour," Mamoru answered, indicating to Usagi that things were too upsetting to speak of in front of Chika.  
  
Usagi adorned a cheerful smile for the sake of Chika. "Do you hear that sweetie?" Usagi asked as she squatted down to Chika's height. "Aunt Rei is going to watch you!"  
  
"Horsy!" Chika squealed cheerfully as her little eyes lit up.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"So, how bad is it?" Usagi immediately asked after Chika had left with Rei. Mamoru sat down on the couch and dropped his head into his hands. "That bad?" Usagi asked as she sat down next to him.  
  
"Worse," he groaned out.  
  
"How can it be worse?" Usagi asked, curious as to how things could be any worse than a group of officers showing up to look for a secret safe-house in the sub-floors. "They didn't find anything. So how can it be worse?"   
  
"The fact that Beryl was the one who reported us," Mamoru replied as he lifted his eyes to see her confused look. "When Beryl first came to the estate, she had no papers. She stayed on sub-floor two for over a month. She knows the tunnel system."   
  
Usagi's face turned from confusion to realization to horror. "But they won't believe her!" she shouted out. Usagi felt fear flood her system.  
  
"When they take her to trial and she doesn't break, they will look for all the missing pieces to the story," Mamoru sighed as he wrapped an arm around Usagi. Whether to comfort her or himself, he wasn't sure. "She may not have mentioned the tunnels before, but they will beat her until she tells them something."  
  
Usagi's eyes went blank and she stared forward, not seeing anything. Beryl would tell them and her family would be found hiding in the sub-floors. All the railers--a nickname inspired by the South's Underground Railroad of the Civil War--would be found and, most likely, killed. "No," she whispered, barely recognizing her own voice.  
  
Mamoru held Usagi close, feeling her trembling form in his arms. "Yes."  
  
Time passed slowly and quietly before Usagi finally found the ability to speak again. "What are we going to do?"  
  
"I've already put the sub-floors on code red. I plan to alert everyone else at dinner tonight," Mamoru informed Usagi. But once again, he caught her questioning look. In that moment, he realized that there was a lot he never told her. Before Usagi came, Mamoru had been so strict with everything. There was a plan for every possible situation that could occur and everyone knew every plan. With her came his loose, carefree side and he had slacked off, not letting her know about all the plans that were able to go into effect, at a moments notice. "Code red means that we are going to need to evacuate the building."  
  
"Evacuate? To where?" Usagi asked, stumped as to where he would manage to evacuate close to thirty railers and over sixty females.  
  
"The railers will be split between the farm house and a large manor house with a secret basement. They should be safe there," Mamoru paused for a moment. "Everyone else will be split amongst safe houses and staying with trusted members of my staff at Chiba Industries."  
  
"But what about Beryl? Won't she tell them about the evacuation?" Usagi asked, wondering what good it would do to leave if Beryl was just going to direct the police to them anyhow.  
  
"She may, but it would do no good," Mamoru said as he stood and briefly paced in front of Usagi. "She knows that we evacuate, but she doesn't know where to. I only have one copy of the evacuation plans and they are hidden in my office. She has only been there once and I doubt she was able to find them."  
  
Usagi nodded her head in understanding. The entire estate would be emptied, whether it was evacuated by choice or by law. Given the option, hiding was far better than the alternative.   
  
"And where will that leave us?" Usagi asked, worried about Mamoru and Chika. It seemed that every time her life was going well something had to come in and break the peace. This time she worried that she would lose all that she had ever loved.  
  
"I have arranged for you, Chika, Minako, Shingo, and your mother to live with Rei, Setsuna, and Hotaru in a house on the outskirts of town," Mamoru replied, knowing full well that she had noticed the lack of his name on the list.  
  
Without missing a beat, "And what about you? You'll be there too, right?" Usagi's eyes went wide as she noticed Mamoru's expression. He would not be there with them.  
  
"Usa, I have..."  
  
"No," she quickly cut him off. "No, I can't do this without you!"  
  
Mamoru smiled at Usagi. She was such a strong person and she didn't even know it. If there was anyone that he felt that he shouldn't have to worry about-it was her.  
  
"Usa, I have to hide too. Once they find the estate empty, they will start searching for all of us, me especially," Mamoru said as he began to rub her back gently. "I want to be with you. I really do. But it is not safe for you."  
  
Usagi nodded her head again; it was the only action her body could perform. She couldn't say no and refuse to let him leave her side. What he was doing was for her safety and the safety of everyone in the building. In her heart, she wished there was some other way. She just wanted to play the dumb blonde and have everyone just act as if they had no idea about the railers. Her head, however, insisted that Mamoru knew what was best and he would do whatever he could to keep everyone out of harm's way.  
  
"Usa, I know this is hard for you. It's hard for me too. But I need you to be strong," Mamoru whispered gently.  
  
Usagi let out a sigh and admitted defeat to the situation. She would be strong, he needed her to be. She would protect her family and friends that she loved more than her own life. She would not fail him.  
  
A renewed determination shone in Usagi's eyes as her resolve strengthened. She pulled herself form Mamoru's arms so that she could stand before him. "I will do it--for you and for Chika."  
  
Mamoru smiled at the beautiful vision before him. This female, no, this WOMAN, was more than she seemed and he knew that the world would one day know her strength. A sly smile started to spread across Mamoru's face. Let the rest of the world learn her strength, but they would never learn of her the way he knew her.  
  
"What is that look?" Usagi asked in a playful tone, noticing the immediate change of moods. She knew the look well: a tiger stalking his prey.  
  
"Nothing," Mamoru smiled innocently as he stood up. In a quick move, he picked up Usagi and threw her over his shoulder.  
  
"Mamoru, this is a serious situation! What do you think you're doing?!" Usagi screamed out, trying to retain her laughter as she kicked her legs and squirmed about.  
  
Mamoru's smile was that of the devil himself as he carried his prize towards the bedroom. "I'm going to enjoy myself for what could be the last time in a long while. I'm hoping you will enjoy yourself, too."  
  
Usagi only giggled out an answer as Mamoru moved through the doorway to the bedroom, shutting the door behind him.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Although word spread throughout the estate about the search the officers made on the two sub-floors, no one knew why. Some of the females had seen Beryl led away by the officers, but only two females knew for certain that it was in connection with the search.   
  
Beryl's roommates kept their secret knowledge that Beryl had indeed alerted the officers of the sub-floors until dinner. When Mamoru informed the females of the estate of what had happened, including Beryl's involvement, both Shinna and Mikia denied having any idea of what Beryl had done.  
  
After altering everyone that the building had gone "code red," Usagi witnessed how efficiently Mamoru had planned out the entire event.  
  
By seven o'clock, as dusk was beginning to fall, two delivery trucks pulled up to the docking bays at the back of the estate. The bay doors opened to the basement, where the trucks would normally be unloaded. This time, however, the trucks were empty, waiting for a more unique cargo.  
  
One truck was loaded with railers heading to the farm and the other to the manor. The luggage was quickly piled in, followed by the people. A little cramped, but not daring to complain, the truck doors were closed and they were off.   
  
The process for the females of the estate was a bit trickier. It wasn't at all suspicious to see two delivery trucks at the estate at the same time, but more than that could catch some unwanted attention.  
  
As such, Usagi found herself forced to wear several layers of clothing and Chika dressed the same. Her couple of suitcases were labeled and placed in a pile for later delivery. For now, however, she was going to have to walk several blocks to one of Mamoru's associates from work. From there she would be driven to the safe house she was assigned to.  
  
Usagi sat patiently, though rather uncomfortably, in the lobby with Chika curled up on her lap. It was nearing midnight and it was almost time for her to leave, under the cover of darkness, to meet her ride to the safe house.   
  
Mamoru was still organizing the first four groups that were scheduled to leave. A group of five would be leaving the estate every half-hour until dawn. Anyone that left after sunrise would leave with the morning "delivery" truck, which would also carry all of the suitcases.  
  
The clock in the lobby struck midnight. Although it had no chime, everyone in the lobby felt that they could hear the hands of the clock move into position.   
  
Mamoru walked over to where Usagi sat with Chika. He tried desperately to soak in her every detail. Her ocean blue eyes, soft blonde hair, her slightly plump body from the four sets of clothes she was wearing, and even the small stream of sweat that was dripping down the side of her face. Never before had he seen such a beautiful sight.  
  
"Usa, it's time for you to go now," he said gently as he sat next to her on the small bench. He placed on hand around her shoulder and the other on top of Chika's small head. The little child shifted slightly, but never awoke.  
  
"Mamoru, I'll miss you so much," Usagi whispered, trying desperately to keep the tears from her eyes.  
  
"I know," Mamoru replied with a sigh. "I can only promise that you will always be with me in my heart, thoughts, and dreams."  
  
Usagi soaked in the loving words and smiled. "And you will always be in mine," she promised him.  
  
The couple stood, Usagi carefully shifting Chika in her arms. "Take care of her and don't let her forget me," Mamoru said as he gently kissed Chika on the forehead.   
  
"I promise," Usagi replied. She gazed longingly into Mamoru's eyes, momentarily lost in their stormy depths. Pulling herself back to reality, she smiled happily. "I love you, Mamoru."  
  
"I love you too, Usagi," he smiled. Never had he been so happy and so sad in the same moment.  
  
Knowing that time was dwindling, Mamoru leaned down and brought his lips gently towards hers. The kiss was tender, sweet, and short, but it betrayed their every emotion; love, fear, heartbreak, and hope flooded their senses as the two broke apart from each other.  
  
"Goodnight," Usagi said softly, taking a step back from Mamoru.  
  
"Goodnight?" he questioned her, not understanding her choice of word.  
  
"Yes," she smiled brightly. "I refuse to say goodbye."  
  
Mamoru's smile widened. A single tear fell from the corner of his eyes. Mamoru whispered softly, "Goodnight," as he watched his love turn and walk through the front door.  
  
Waiting just outside for Usagi and Chika were Rei, Minako, Setsuna, and Hotaru. Usagi's mother and brother were set to leave in the second group a half-hour later.  
  
"Goodbyes are hard, aren't they?" Minako asked as she wrapped her arm around her sister as they started to walk away from the estate.  
  
"It wasn't a goodbye, just a goodnight," Usagi corrected Minako.  
  
Minako nodded her head in understanding and truly hoped that it was not a goodbye.  
  
~*~*~  
  
The six blocks that the group had to walk to reach their ride to the safe house were quite exhausting. Not only was it the middle of the night, but also it was warm and they were all wearing several layers of clothing. In addition, the four grown females were sharing the responsibility of carrying the sleeping three-year-old, who was extra heavy due to all her layers.  
  
Usagi wondered if this feeling of fear and discomfort was how the Jews had felt when they went into hiding from Hitler's regime. Should the females be caught now, their punishment would be the same as any Jew in that time. Although there was no patch of the Star of David on their clothes to differentiate them, the females could be distinguished by appearance alone. To be discriminated against for the religion one practiced, to be tortured or killed for that religion, or to be forced into hiding for that religion was unjust, horrid, and wrong.   
  
Many people fought after the war to establish peace and a greater sense of freedom; they swore that such a thing would never happen again. Yet here they were, persecuted for the gender they were born, punished for having a voice and trying to speak up, or killed for disobeying.  
  
So much for the promises of freedom and peace among the people. The world now embraced the immortal words of the Constitution of the United States: all men are created equal.   
  
When the group of females finally reached their destination, they found that the vehicle they were to fit in was a small car with two doors and four small seats. Grin-and-bearing it, the four larger females crammed in, leaving space for the driver, and slid the two children in on their laps.  
  
  
  
The ride was nearly unbearable, every bump causing discomfort to soar through their bodies. But their driver was a polite, elderly male who apologized repeatedly for the inconvenience.  
  
When the small car pulled into the driveway of the safe house that was to be their new home, Usagi gasped. Never, when Mamoru had said that it was a house on the outskirts of town, had she expected what she saw.  
  
Her new home was not all that new, at least not to her. She quickly took in the sight of the little blue house with a white picket fence. Never had she thought that she would see the house before her again.   
  
"Usa," Minako whispered. She, too, was staring at the house in awe.  
  
"We're home," Usagi said breathlessly, not sure if she could really believe the sight before her.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"It's bizarre, isn't it?" Minako asked Usagi as the two females folded and put away their clothes. After arriving at the house, everyone split up into their rooms to settle in for the night. The two sisters were back in the room they grew up in, Chika sharing the bed with Usagi.  
  
"I never thought I'd see our home ever again," Usagi said as she closed the drawer of the dresser. Nothing in the house had changed from the day she was taken to the training camp. Even the bunnies on the bed were in the same spot as she had left them.  
  
"It's weird though," Usagi said as she sat on the bed next to Chika's sleeping form. "There's no dust on anything."  
  
"That's Mamoru for you. He's probably kept the place under housekeeping for the last eight years," Minako said with a smile.  
  
"Yeah," Usagi whispered. She had only been separated from Mamoru for a few hours, but she already missed him.  
  
Minako took in her sister's far-away look and sighed. "You'll see him again soon. I'm sure of it," Minako said as she sat next to her sister, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mina," Usagi said as she leaned her head on her little sister's shoulder. "The last thing you need to hear right now is my whining."  
  
"Usa, you have every right to whine. You have something that the rest of us can only dream of," Minako said softly.  
  
  
  
"You'll find love someday, Mina," Usagi promised her.  
  
Minako nodded her head, although she doubted that she ever would. The society in which they lived didn't exactly encourage fairy tales where princesses and knights in shining armor live happily ever after.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Mamoru waved his arm in the air, signaling to the driver that everything and everyone was loaded up. The driver gave a honk of the horn and pulled away.  
  
Heaving a violent sigh, Mamoru ran his hand through his hair and decided to go upstairs and get some rest before heading out himself. The entire estate was empty now and it seemed eerily quiet.   
  
Entering the apartment, Mamoru rubbed his eyes tiredly. It was nearly six AM and he was exhausted. As he made his way towards the bedroom, the phone in the kitchen rang. It was odd to be receiving a phone call so early in the morning, so he rushed to answer it before the answering machine picked up.  
  
"Hello. Chiba speaking," Mamoru answered after the third ring.  
  
"They're coming," a breathless male voice rasped into the phone. "You have to get out now!"  
  
"Who is this?" Mamoru asked, a feeling of dread filling him as he wondered what the male on the other end of the line was talking about.   
  
"You have to get out now! The officers are on their way," the voice said before the line went dead.  
  
Hanging up the phone mechanically, Mamoru absorbed the words and without a moment's pause, he got on the elevator and made his way to the first floor. Opening the front door, Mamoru could hear the faint sound of sirens in the distance and tried not to panic. He rushed to his car and sped away from the building, desperately hoping that no one had seen him leave.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"The place is empty," Officer Tomba informed Officer Smith as he returned from searching the upper floors of the estate.  
  
"Damn," Smith muttered under his breath. He brought his walkie-talkie up to his mouth, "Wilson, Jameston, have you found anything?"  
  
"Roger that," Jameston responded. "We found the tunnels, just as she described them."  
  
"But they're empty, sir," Wilson added.  
  
Smith groaned in frustration. Damn Chiba for making him look like a fool. The captain would not be pleased with the news that the female had been right after all.  
  
"Smith, this is Johnson, come in," the walkie-talkie crackled.  
  
"Smith here," he responded automatically.  
  
"Sir, we found Chiba's car five blocks away, abandoned in a parking lot," Johnson informed him.  
  
"Search the area, I want him found!" Smith demanded before clipping the walkie-talkie back onto his belt. He stormed towards the front door before turning around to Tomba again. "Wrap things up here and then get back to the station. We have a prisoner to interrogate."  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Officers raided Chiba estates, home of prominent businessman Chiba Mamoru, after a female in his possession stepped forward with information indicating that the estate was actually being used as a safe-house," the reporter said before flashing to a video of the officers investigating the tunnels. "It is believed that Chiba was housing close to thirty railers, who hid in sub-floors of the house, along with his extensive collection of females. Upon search, the entire estate was found abandoned and devoid of any leads concerning the whereabouts of the house's former residents. Officers are currently searching for Chiba and the occupants of the building. If you have..."  
  
The television clicked off, leaving its viewers in the small living room staring wide-eyed and speechless.  
  
"Mommy, what's wrong?" Chika asked as she noticed Usagi's pale face and blank expression. Usagi turned to look at the toddler, but all words failed her.  
  
"She's okay," Hotaru tried to comfort the little child. "Why don't we go out and play before dinner?"   
  
"That sounds like a good idea," Shingo agreed, knowing that the adults would want to talk alone. Chika nodded her head, casting one last look at her mom and the other females before heading outside.  
  
After the three kids had left, Usagi dropped her head into her hands as tears began to cascade down her face. Her thoughts were centered on one thing: Mamoru.  
  
"She didn't take long to completely betray us," Rei scowled, her shock quickly turning into anger.  
  
"But why?" Setsuna asked, not believing that anyone in the room could actually supply her with an answer.  
  
"What do we do now?" Usagi asked, forcing her tears to stop. A sense of responsibility filled her and she recalled her promise to Mamoru to take care of Chika.   
  
"We do everything according to plan and be extra careful if we ever need to leave the house," Ikuko said as she looked at the four females before her, two her daughters and the two others that she had learned to love as daughters. It was her responsibility as a mother to keep them all safe.  
  
"We just need to let things settle and then Mamoru will find a way to bring us all back together," Setsuna told them, certain that her little brother would once again come through for them all.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Mamoru, how are things going?" Setsuna asked, hoping that things were faring better with her brother than they were at the house.  
  
Mamoru pulled the phone slightly away from his ear and looked at it strangely, as if he were trying to look directly at Setsuna. He had never known his older sister to ask such a silly question. "How do you think things are going? I'm not exactly living at the Plaza here."  
  
"Oh, yeah, I guess that's true," Setsuna replied, a hint of nervousness present in her voice.   
  
Mamoru quickly picked up on her uneasiness. "Setsuna, I gave you this number only in case of an emergency. What's wrong?"  
  
Setsuna, unknown to Mamoru, was pacing through the living room with everyone but Usagi present. They had all been concerned about Mamoru, but that had not been the reason for the call.   
  
"Setsuna?" Mamoru asked again after a short period of silence.  
  
"Sorry, it's just," Setsuna had never had trouble with words before, but telling her brother something that he didn't want to hear made it difficult. "Mamoru, we need to you to contact Ami and send her here."  
  
"Ami? Who's sick?" he asked, knowing full well that the only possible reason they would need Ami was for her medical skills.  
  
"It's Usagi," she replied, waiting for the twenty questions that were soon to follow.  
  
"Usa," Mamoru whispered to himself. "What's wrong with her? How long has she been ill? Is she okay? Have you made her stay in bed? What about Chika? When did she last eat?"  
  
Setsuna slapped her hand to her forehead. If there was one thing she knew, it was her family. "She's okay mostly, but she's been sick, for the past couple days actually."  
  
"Sick like what?" Mamoru questioned his older sister, concern for his love filling him.  
  
"Just some kind of a bug. She's been rather weak and a little pale. She starts feeling better for a bit, but she isn't able to keep down anything for more than a few hours," Setsuna said as she looked around the room for confirmation that she got everything right.  
  
"She's not sleeping well either," Minako added and Setsuna repeated the statement to Mamoru.  
  
"Tell her that Ami will be there shortly," Mamoru guaranteed Setsuna. "And that I'll be there as soon as possible."  
  
"No!" Setsuna yelled, surprising both Mamoru and everyone in the room with her. "You can't come, Mamoru. If you come now, she won't be able to let you leave again."  
  
Setsuna was right and Mamoru knew it. He shook his head in agreement, not thinking of the fact that she couldn't see him on the telephone. "Alright, I won't come. Would you please tell her I love her and want her to get better?"  
  
"I think it would be best not to," Setsuna shook her head back and forth in frustration. Her brother had always kept a straight head, but Usagi brought out all his emotions, which quickly overrode his brain. "She doesn't know that we have the number to contact you, or she would be constantly on the phone with you, which isn't safe."  
  
Mamoru sighed and ran a hand over his face as he sat down in a nearby chair. "Alright Sets. Perhaps the message can be passed on through Ami, if she feels it's okay."  
  
"I'll talk to her when she gets here," Setsuna assured Mamoru. "I promise you that we will take care of Usagi," Setsuna said and, although Mamoru couldn't see, everyone else in the room nodded their heads in agreement.  
  
"Okay," Mamoru conceded. As hard as everything had been since the officers first came to search the estate, being without Usagi was the hardest. Knowing that she was sick and he couldn't comfort her was painful, but if being with her would impede her recovery, than he would stay away. "Let me know how things go."  
  
"I will," Setsuna promised. "Bye, Mamoru."  
  
"Bye."  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Well, it looks like you have a touch of the flu, nothing too terrible," Ami said as she closed up her medical bag. Although females had been prohibited from receiving medical degrees, or any education above primary school, Ami had come from a family of doctors and was trained by her father before he died in the war.  
  
"Thank you, Ami," Usagi said as she rolled over, grasping her stomach in a groan.  
  
Ami watched Usagi for a few moments before speaking again, "Usagi, when was your last period?"  
  
Usagi blushed bright red before thinking for a moment. "I was due at the beginning of last week." Ami gave Usagi a look and was about to speak when Usagi cut her off. "So I'm a little late, but my mother always said that could happen in times of intense stress."  
  
"Well, yes, that can be true, Usagi, but not always," Ami said as she reached into her medical bag again and pulled out a small cup. "I'd like to run a test, just to be on the safe side."  
  
Taking the cup from Ami, knowing what she needed to do, Usagi sighed and went to the bathroom. Stepping out moments later, she handed the cup to Ami, who immediately went to work. Removing some bits and pieces from her bag, Ami went into the bathroom to run the tests.  
  
Usagi paced nervously around the room while Ami was gone. Never had she thought that she might be pregnant; in fact, the thought was far from her mind. Now that Ami had brought up the possibility, the thought was circling in her brain.   
  
Ever since Usagi had been a small child with her first baby doll, she dreamed of being a mother. After watching her mother care for her younger sister and brother, Usagi had wanted nothing more than to have children of her own. Of course, she went through the "boys have cooties" stage and then her dreams seemed to be slashed to bits when she went to the training camp and she was told that any child she had would not be created from love.  
  
Now, however, she had a chance to have a child. Not only that, but also she would be having a child with her true love. As much as she had come to love Chika, having a child of her own blood, from the love between her and Mamoru, would be a dream come true.  
  
When Ami emerged from the bathroom holding the test results in her hand, her face was emotionless and gave away nothing, leaving Usagi impatiently waiting to learn the results.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Please, stop, I'll tell you anything I can," Beryl pleaded with the male currently in the cell with her.   
  
For two weeks she had been tortured, but she could take no more. She had immediately bargained for her life upon entering the jail, telling the secrets of the estate in order to gain time. She knew how Mamoru worked and knew that he would have the estate cleared out by the time the officers arrived. When the officers returned the next day, thoroughly pissed off and out for blood, she knew that they found the estate empty.  
  
Unfortunately, exposing her knowledge of the estate led the officers to believe that she held more information; which was true. However, after spending the first night in jail and having time to think to herself, Beryl began to recognize the errors she had made. She wasn't after everyone in the estate, only Usagi. She realized that she had placed the lives of some of her friends and the male that she loved in danger and thus swore that she would hold out the information for as long as possible.  
  
"Please," Beryl cried again, knowing full well that the officer wouldn't stop torturing her until he was satisfied. Then, upon near unconsciousness, he would leave her to get the other officers.  
  
Beryl lay in a pile on the ground, fresh blood drying on her skin. She gently massaged her sore wrists, where the handcuffs had dug into her flesh. Looking over her bruised and battered body, she wondered if it was odd that she couldn't feel anything. She didn't worry for long however, as the pain from her wounds began to infiltrate her senses.  
  
Since her arrest, Beryl had been tortured within an inch of her life several times. At first, the officers had only enjoyed her body, following all their set rules of leaving no physical evidence on the body. Within two days, however, the officers found themselves desiring more from Beryl and the chief officer agreed.   
  
Male after male, Beryl was hung on the wall and treated brutally as she was repeatedly entered unwillingly. Her body was torn and twisted as each male took part in his sadistic idea of sex. When she no longer satisfied them sexually, the officers found pleasure in other ways.   
  
The simplest of males found that her screams as he beat her with his fists were all he needed to be satisfied. Another enjoyed beating her with a club. The worst, however, was the officer that had just left her bleeding on the cold cement floor.  
  
Officer Smith was truly a sick male; the other officers knew this but did nothing about it. His rage would often become uncontrolled, placing anyone in his path in danger. Worse yet were his periods of anger, such as the one he was in now. He had yet to find Chiba Mamoru or any of the females that had escaped him and he was taking his fury out on Beryl.  
  
Not far from where Beryl lay, yet just out of her reach, was a slightly rusted razor blade drenched in blood. She had multiple small cuts running across her legs and arms and her breasts had several slashes across them. Blood was flowing freely from all of her wounds. Her back and abdomen had several scars from two previous encounters with Officer Smith.   
  
Chief Daniels walked towards the cell where Beryl was being kept. He could smell her blood down the hall and felt ill. He knew that Smith needed help, but didn't feel like ruining the reputation of the station over one troubled officer.  
  
"Open it," Daniels ordered to the guard in front of him. The guard opened the door and allowed Daniels to enter before closing the cell door behind him again.  
  
Beryl looked up from her pile on the floor to notice the Chief.  
  
"I understand you have something you want to tell me?" Daniels asked, hoping that she would be quick, as her sight was disgusting him.  
  
"I'll tell you everything I know," Beryl started, but had to stop speaking when taken over by a coughing fit. "I'll tell you everything, but please, I can't handle this anymore."  
  
Daniels covered his mouth with a handkerchief in an attempt to keep himself from vomiting. "What exactly do you expect me to do? Let you free? That's not going to happen."  
  
"Please," Beryl breathed out, barely able to remain conscious. "Please just kill me. I'll tell you everything, but I want out of this misery."  
  
Daniels allowed the handkerchief to fall away from his mouth as his hand mechanically fell to his side. Never before had any female, or any male for that matter, made such a request from him. He nodded his head, not really noticing that he was doing it. "I'll see what I can do."  
  
Beryl slightly nodded her head, the action bringing more pain to her already torn and trashed body. She didn't want to betray Mamoru, but she couldn't stand the pain anymore. All she wanted was peace, a chance to not feel anything anymore, and death could make it all better. Using the little strength she had, Beryl turned herself over on the ground, facing away from Chief Daniels. Tears began to course down her cheeks as she thought of her friends and what she was about to do to them. With a weak and raspy voice, she began to speak brokenly.   
  
"Manor house on Clark. Farm house a mile North from the dead end on Naples. Check the basement of every employee from the research and development team of Chiba Industries. A couple other houses, which are likely to have recently had an increase in utilities."  
  
After a moment of silence from Beryl, Daniels spoke. "What of Chiba?"  
  
Beryl dreaded the question, yet knew that it was inevitable. "I don't know. He never told us."  
  
Daniels growled and turned away from Beryl, pissed off by the fact that he knew that she was more than likely telling the truth. He walked towards the cell door and knocked for the guard to open it up.   
  
Beryl quickly turned to see him leaving and spoke hurriedly. "What about me?"  
  
Daniels didn't turn around. "What about you, female?"  
  
"You said you would..."  
  
"I said that I would see what I could do. Unfortunately, I can't do anything for a worthless female who doesn't give me the information I need," Daniels said as he signaled the guard to close the door.  
  
The sound of the door closing echoed throughout the cell and the lock clicking in place broke Beryl's already crumbling heart in two. What few tears she had left fell from her eyes as she began to retch blood and the little bit of food the officers provided her onto the ground. Too weak to move, she collapsed into the pile of vomit, more disgusted with herself for betraying everyone than with her current state.   
  
Beryl wished only for death, yet it seemed that, once again, the only thing that she wanted would not be hers to have.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Minako turned off the television as her sister and mother entered into the room. For the past week, the news had been covering the arrests of multiple railers and females that had been previously living in Chiba estates. Rei had feared that it would only be a matter of time before they were found; still, they continued to keep the news from Usagi.  
  
"So what's new in the world today?" Usagi asked her sister, a smile playing across her face. She had gotten over her flu and been feeling nearly a hundred percent better, although she still wasn't sleeping properly.  
  
"Not much," Minako lied horribly. Usagi could see that her sister was lying through her teeth, but didn't have a chance to talk to her.   
  
Chika came bounding towards her mother with a goofy grin on her face. She was running full speed and crashed into Usagi's legs. "Mama," she panted as she looked up at her mother.  
  
Usagi picked up the child, curious as to why she was running so fast. "Chika, what's..."  
  
Usagi didn't get a chance to ask, as her brother and Hotaru came running into the room. Shingo was slightly pale and Hotaru was blushing wildly. It was rather apparent to every adult in the room what the two teenagers had been doing, but Chika wanted to make sure there was no doubt in anyone's mind.  
  
"Mama," she whispered loudly in her mother's ear. "They were boom-booming."  
  
"Shingo!" Ikuko shrieked from beside her daughter. Minako, who was still sitting on the couch, fell over laughing. Setsuna and Rei, who just happened to be entering the room from the kitchen at the moment Chika shared her secret, were staring wide mouthed at Hotaru.  
  
"Young lady!" Setsuna yelled at the thirteen-year-old female in horror. "Just what do you two think you were doing?"  
  
"Boom-booming," Chika squealed in delight while clapping.   
  
Shingo dropped his head in his hand and groaned. "We weren't doing anything bad, I swear," he pleaded with the five females staring down at him and Hotaru.  
  
"It's true, I swear!" Hotaru spoke up from behind Shingo. She stepped up to stand beside him and took his hand in hers. "Shingo kissed me," Hotaru said as she dropped her eyes down to stare at her shoes, Shingo copying the action. The blush that covered her face was quite becoming and make her look older than she actually was.  
  
Hearing the confession, the two mothers looked at each other and smiled. Hotaru had already confided to Setsuna an interest in Shingo several days early and was assured that her feelings were normal and acceptable. Shingo had not spoken to his mother about his attraction to Hotaru, but Ikuko was at an age where all mothers know everything about their children and she had her suspicions about the two for some time.  
  
"Shingo, Hotaru," Ikuko said in a soft voice to gain their attention without causing them fear. Once the two looked up to meet the eyes of the eldest female in the room, she began to speak again. "I'm sure that Setsuna agrees with me when I assure you that what you have done is quite alright."  
  
Setsuna nodded her head and continued for Ikuko. "A private relationship between the two of you is acceptable, however, there shall be no 'boom-booming' in this house."  
  
Minako and Usagi both giggled slightly at hearing Setsuna use their mother's term, but quickly stopped the laughing when their mother gave them a look. The two youths nodded their heads in understanding, both blushing at the embarrassment of the entire situation.  
  
"Well, now that that's over," Rei said, a smile spreading from ear to ear. "We were just coming to let you all know that dinner is done."  
  
"Yay!" Chika cheered. The room burst out in laughter at the child's antics and began to move into the kitchen. Once again, Chika wondered why grown-ups were so strange.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Sets, have you seen Usagi?" Rei asked as she entered into the family room where Setsuna was sitting at her sewing machine.  
  
"No, not lately. Why?" Setsuna asked. Lately, they had all noticed that Rei was much more protective of Usagi, as if caring for her in Mamoru's absence.   
  
"Just lost track of her," Rei replied as she left the room to enter in the kitchen. There was no one in the kitchen, leaving only one room.   
  
Upon entering the living room, Rei found Usagi watching the final credits rolling from the end of a game show. Usagi heard someone enter the room and turned to greet her friend. "Hey Rei, what's up?"  
  
"Nothing much, just seeing what you were doing," Rei responded as she leaned across the back of the couch. "What were you watching?"  
  
"Some stupid show where males win money by being the dumbest," Usagi said as she rolled her eyes, causing Rei to laugh. She picked up the remote and began to lazily flip through the channels when she spotted the daily news. "Oh good, I wanted to see what tomorrow's weather will be."  
  
Rei's smile immediately fell from her face as she saw the news anchor on the screen. "Um, Usagi," Rei started, trying to think of an excuse. "You know that the weather channel has better forecasts."  
  
"Nah, Rei," Usagi said, shaking her head. "They have too many commercials between the weather reports. These guys usually show the weather right after the main story."  
  
Rei could think of no argument to her logic, as much as she wanted to. Instead, she just nodded her head absently and tuned into what the male was saying, hoping desperately that the story would be about something other than her brother.  
  
"Police have three houses remaining under suspicion. Neighboring districts have been asked to house many of the females, as the jail cells are currently overcrowded. Chiba is still on the loose."   
  
The news continued on, but Rei reached over to take the remote from Usagi's hand and turned off the television. The room was silent for a moment, neither Usagi nor Rei were able to speak. Usagi couldn't even move her eyes from the screen and Rei didn't know quite what to say.  
  
"Rei, please tell me you didn't know," Usagi whispered, still not turning from the television. Rei swallowed audibly and nodded her head slowly, knowing that Usagi could see her reflection in the glass of the television. "Why?"  
  
For a moment, Rei considered the question and wondered why they had kept the information from her in the first place after all. They knew that she was mature enough to hear the news, but they still felt it best to leave her in the dark. "I, we all, wanted you to not worry. You have been stressing yourself out and you were sick," Rei though about trying to make more excuses, but knew that it would do no good.  
  
"Everyone knew," Usagi said, speaking more to herself than Rei. "Nobody told me," her voice was hollow and lost.   
  
"Usagi, I..."  
  
"I understand, Rei," Usagi cut her off, not really wishing to hear any other excuses. "I just need to be alone for a while."  
  
Without another word, Rei left the room to find her sister and the others to let them know what happened. Usagi, however, didn't move a muscle. In her mind, she repeated the words of the reporter over and over again. Not only had they captured the residents of the estate, but they had so many they needed to ship them to other facilities.   
  
"But they don't have Mamoru," Usagi said to herself, as if to reassure herself of what she heard on the news.  
  
"No, they don't have him," Ikuko said as she took the seat next to her daughter, putting an arm around her.  
  
"And they aren't likely to find him," Setsuna added, sitting on the edge of the couch.  
  
"You understand why we didn't tell you, don't you?" Minako asked, hoping that he sister wasn't terribly upset with them.  
  
Usagi nodded her head before speaking. "I do, I guess. I mean, I'm upset, but I understand your intentions. But do you think we are safe here?"  
  
"We have made plans to leave tonight to a new house," Ikuko said as she reached up a hand to move her daughter's bangs across her forehead lightly. "We just didn't want you to worry dear. You have Chika to care for and..."  
  
Ikuko's words were cut off as the sound of knocking sounded at the front door.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Chika! Come back!" Shingo shouted as he ran to catch up with the toddler running ahead him. Hotaru was running along side of him, both desperately trying to catch the small child.  
  
"Can't catch me!" Chika giggled as she ran out of the back yard, along the side of the house, and into the front yard.   
  
"Chika!" Shingo and Hotaru shouted again, but Chika paid no attention. As she ran through the front yard, she noticed several males standing at the front door of the house. She immediately stopped, turned, and ran the other direction. Unfortunately, Hotaru and Shingo were running at full speed and Chika ran straight into them, causing a heaping pile of children.  
  
Shingo sat up, holding a hand to his head in an attempt to keep everything from spinning. As soon as his eyes focused, he had immediately wished that he had been knocked unconscious. Standing in front of him were three officers.  
  
"Excuse me kids, do you live here?" Officer Johnson asked as he reached out a hand to help Shingo up.  
  
"Yep," Chika answered before Shingo could stop her. Johnson turned his head slightly to signal the other officers standing at the door. They had already knocked several times, but when they saw the children, Johnson had a suspicion that something was up. With the nod of his head, the other two officers under his command knew to take action.  
  
Tomba quickly tried the doorknob and was not at all shocked to find it locked. Taking a step back, Tomba kicked at the door two times, breaking it open. The two officers entered the house, while Johnson stayed with the kids.  
  
"Can you come with me, sweetie?" Johnson asked Chika as he leaned down and picked her up. "I'd like you two to come with me, too."  
  
Shingo and Hotaru slowly followed behind Johnson as they approached the front door. They walked into the house to find their families being herded towards the door.  
  
"Mama," Chika cheered from her perch in Johnson's arms.  
  
"Chika," Usagi gasped and lunged forward to grab Chika from the officer.   
  
Johnson handed over the child to Usagi before regaining his composure. "I'm afraid you will all need to come to the station for some questioning."  
  
The group walked somberly out to the van parked in the driveway. As the van pulled away from the house, Usagi looked out the window, once again wondering if she would ever see her home again. Her thoughts then turned to Mamoru and she prayed that he was still safe.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Solo Lector: Boom-booming. *giggles* Who knew it'd be reoccurring? Great chapter, J-mama. ;) 


	9. Chapter 9

For Sale

Chapter 9

Rated PG-13

By Chibi J

Edited by Lady J. Solo

For those of you who have been waiting, I thank you. It has been over a year and a half since I last posted a chapter to this story and I am deeply sorry for the length of time that has past. While I can offer up excuses, that's all they will be. Lately I have lost my ability to write and as such, I couldn't find the will to finish this chapter. I'd rather you all wait and read something worth waiting for than read something I threw together just to get it done.

Beware falling in Black Holes. They are dangerous and may hold you captive for a long time. They are also highly contagious (winks at LS).

Once again, I find myself sitting here trying to think up a clever way to say that I don't own Sailor Moon or the characters associated with Sailor Moon. I do however know that I do own my stuff, the story and certain characters, and I would not like to see them copied. Unfortunately, I'm not feeling terribly clever right now and will therefore say "Don't own; never will" and "Mine, not yours" to cover both.

A brief recap: Females have become slaves to the males of the world, given no rights or freedom. However, one male (Mamoru) has stood up for females in secret and gave them shelter from the harsh world. His most recent purchase (Usagi) has been reunited with her mother, sister, and brother who were also living in Mamoru's care. Shortly after being reunited with her family, Usagi is arrested in a misunderstanding and taken to jail. After returning, she is merely a shell of her normal self and eventually tells Mamoru of the fact that she was sexually abused during her jail time (although she is still a virgin). They begin a relationship, which quickly develops after the two witness a female being executed and find the female's young daughter who they adopt as their own. In a fit of jealousy and rage, Beryl (another female at the Chiba Estates) reports to the police that the apartment complex is actually a safe house. When the police come to inspect the apartment, they find nothing and arrest Beryl for lying to them. Fearing that the police will come back, Mamoru evacuates the estate into several safe houses. However, after beating and torturing Beryl, the police find the safe houses and arrest all the females, including Usagi, her family, and Mamoru's family.

AN: The video camera's in the jail are video only, not sound. Just for future reference!

* * *

The ride to the police station was silent; the open windows blew in no air and the streets of the city were quiet. Usagi felt as if the whole world was watching the police van move down the street, yet she did not see a soul. As the van stopped in front of the police station, Usagi was dragged out and forced to face her nightmares.

For weeks, Usagi had dreamed of the station, remembering every last detail, over and over again. As she walked passed the main desk she remembered the three red chairs next to the dusty lamp that still remained in the waiting area. She watched as Shingo was led away toward the cells reserved for males as she walked down the familiar path towards the back of the station where the females were kept. There they were taken into a small room where she was once again stripped of her clothes and her body fully searched.

This time, however, she refused to fall victim to the horrors of the station and the males within. She knew in her heart that, somewhere in hiding, Mamoru was safe and he would somehow rescue her.

Looking down, Usagi saw Chika clinging desperately to her leg. Tears were streaming down her face and she was sniffling slightly, yet she refused to let go of Usagi to wipe her tears away. Risking punishment from the guard that had told them not to move, Usagi bent down and picked up Chika. Her first reaction of awkwardness from holding a naked child to her own naked form quickly disappeared as Chika buried her head in Usagi's shoulder.

The seven females were finally led to the three large cells in the back of the station, which were overflowing with females. Usagi immediately recognized many of them, though their downtrodden faces were not something that she was used to. Usagi and Chika were thrown into the middle cell, Rei and Minako were put into the cell on the left, and Ikuko, Setsuna, and Hotaru were put in the cell on the right.

The females were practically packed like sardines, unable to move around at all. It was also very uncomfortable being so close, as many times body parts would brush up against one another. One thing had comforted Usagi: None of the females were in chains and they appeared to have not suffered from any physical punishment.

For several hours, Usagi stood in one place, holding Chika in her arms, not speaking to anyone. Although she could understand the difficulty many were having with making eye contact, Usagi longed to talk to someone. She wished she would be able to move about, as many of the muscles in her body were aching and starting to cramp.

Her wishes, however, were not answered for another four hours.

"Hey John, just get five out of each. That's all Ralph at Tower Prison said they could hold," a male voice shouted from the end of the hall outside of the cells. Usagi could hear the sounds of several people, most likely including John, moving towards the cells.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," a male, that Usagi assumed was John, replied. "Okay boys, just take out one at a time," the same voice instructed. Within moments, shouts could be heard from females as the gates of the cells were opened and one by one, five females were pulled from each cell.

Although Usagi couldn't see what was happening, it sounded as if the females were being put into full chains, around the feet, hands, and neck. While the officers were chaining the females, a rush of panic had filled Usagi as she realized that the members of her family could have been taken away.

After about fifteen minutes, the footsteps were leaving, the rattling of chains with them. The cell then seemed much emptier and Usagi found that she could move around once more. Quickly looking around the cells, she took in account everyone and heaved a sigh of relief. Chika stirred slightly on Usagi's shoulder, having woken up due to the shouts of the females being chained.

"Mommy," Chika whined softly, not fully certain of what was going on and where she was.

"Don't worry, Chika. Everything will be okay," Usagi whispered in Chika's ear, desperately hoping that she wasn't lying to the little female.

Usagi held the toddler to her tightly, as if using her to keep afloat in a rough sea. Looking around the cell once more, Usagi took in the fact that there was nothing in the cell except one toilet and a small bench, barely large enough for Chika to sleep on. Under the bench, however, she noticed someone lying on the floor, huddled in a ball. Moving through the crowd of females, Usagi set Chika down as she kneeled next to the female.

The female lying on the ground was covered in cuts and bruises. Her reddish colored hair was matted with sweat and dirt, causing it to look more like mud than hair. Reaching a hand out, Usagi gently shook the female. Receiving no response, she lightly pulled back on her shoulder, turning the female over to look at her. Her blue eyes widened as she gasped, completely shocked.

"Usagi?" the redheaded female asked, her voice broken and raspy.

"Beryl," Usagi said, her voice emotionless. She had come over to help the female who was obviously injured, only to find Beryl, the very female who had betrayed them all.

Beryl looked at Usagi's stunned face and rolled back over, knowing that she would just be like all the others. They had all come over to offer help, but would walk away from her in disgust when they realized who she was.

Usagi turned to Chika with a smile of assurance. "Honey, why don't you go over and talk to Aunt Minako and Aunt Rei for a little bit." Chika nodded her head and walked over to where her two aunts were standing in the corner of the other cell.

Usagi reached down to Beryl and tried to help her sit up. Taking in all of Beryl's injuries, Usagi tried not to be sick. For a moment, she was actually glad that her time in jail had been limited and that the officers had been unable to leave any physical evidence.

After propping Beryl up against the wall, Usagi stood and walked over to the small toilet and dipped some toilet paper into the water before returning to Beryl. Without speaking, Usagi tried to clean off some of the driedblood and was checking some of the cuts for infections. When the toilet paper was too soiled to use anymore, Usagi went and got some fresh, only to find Beryl hunched over crying when she returned.

"Did I hurt you?" Usagi asked, concern apparent in her voice.

Beryl lifted her head and took in Usagi's troubled face. "Why are you helping me?" Beryl asked, her voice sorrowful. Truly, she could not understand why the blonde would help her, especially after everything she had done. Had the roles been reversed, Beryl was certain that she would leave the female to rot to death.

"No one deserves to be treated like this," Usagi replied, though she refused to meet Beryl's eyes. She may have believed the words she spoke, but she didn't feel that she could look her betrayer straight in the face.

Without another word between them, Beryl sat while Usagi tended to her wounds. Usagi was somewhat concerned at several small infections in Beryl's cuts, but knew that there really wasn't much that could be done for her. When she was done, Usagi stood and went to move away when Beryl reached out her hand and took Usagi's wrist.

"Usagi, I…" Beryl's words were cut off as Chika bounded her way over to the two females.

"Momma, Aunt Rei wants you," the toddler cheerfully informed Usagi. The blonde smiled, happy to see that her daughter was smiling.

"Tell her I'll be right there, sweetie," Usagi replied as the little child bounced away. She turned back to Beryl, who had let go of her arm. "Beryl?"

"Nothing," Beryl said harshly. "It was nothing."

Noticing the return of her cold demeanor, Usagi stood and walked away from Beryl, wondering what it was that caused the female to do what she did to them all.

* * *

The execution of the females and railers was to begin at noon and the mayor couldn't be happier. In his mind, the capture of the criminals was a step towards reelection and maybe even a promotion to a higher office. After all, he would capture Chiba and prove that the usurper had been planning an uprising.

Taking a sip of his coffee, he relaxed in his plush chair. Today ten would die and ten more would follow everyday until the jails were cleared of the female filth. They were untamed creatures that needed to be destroyed.

"Augustus, would you like some more coffee before you leave for work?" A female wearing a white apron approached the mayor.

"No, June darling, I have to leave for work now," Augustus White, the mayor, responded with a sweet and loving voice. He stood and gently kissed his wife of nearly thirty years on the cheek. "I'll be home early today. Just a couple of hangings and then I'll be back," he said casually, as if it was just your everyday, run-of-the-mill type of thing to do.

"Okay dear," June said as she walked him to the door. Watching his car pull from the driveway, she walked into the kitchen and opened a cupboard under the sink.

Reaching behind several cleaning chemicals, she brought out an unmarked bottle. Not bothering with a glass, June downed several gulps of the bitter liquid before dropping to the ground in a pile. Tears flooded her eyes and she sent out her prayers over and over again, "Be strong girls, be strong."

* * *

Usagi stood towards the back of the cell as ten females were pulled from the cell. They were actually called by name and not randomly selected like those who had been sent to the other jail; most had been from the first two safe houses that were discovered.

Those who were condemned to death that day and the females who had to watch them leave said silent prayers. In the far cell to the left, several females watched from a window as the chained females were led across the street and into the town square. The view did not permit them to see the platform and the nooses.

However, one female saw something that she had never thought she'd see again. "Mamoru?"

The whispered word was easily heard in the silence that remained after the females had been escorted to their deaths.

"No," Usagi whispered to herself as the rest of the females went into an uproar. Questions were being asked left and right about Mamoru, but in Usagi's mind, only one thought rang out. He was out and visible to the world.

"Oh no!" the same female that had shouted Mamoru's name called out in fear.

* * *

Upon hearing the news that all of his safe houses, save one, had been captured, he began to panic. His worry increased ten-fold when he learned that his family and Usagi and her family were all in one of the most recently captured safe houses.

However, an anonymous phone call to his cell phone, by the same mysterious caller as before, informed him that he would keep them all safe. Before Mamoru could even consider questioning the voice, he was left with a dial tone.

While thinking about how the male had gotten his private cell phone number, a number that only Setsuna had, he quickly skimmed the channels on the television. Finally finding the news, he learned that the first ten of the females caught in the "Chiba Scandal" would be hung at noon the following day; Mamoru knew that he had to be there.

The voice on the phone said that he would keep his loved ones safe, but how could he trust an unidentified voice? He knew that he had to go to the hangings. Not only did he need to make sure that the important people in his life were safe, but he felt a sense of duty towards all of the females that had been in his care. Their deaths were essentially his fault; he had promised them safety but didn't deliver it.

Trying to devise some way to rescue the females, Mamoru fell into a restless sleep plagued with nightmares.

Awaking later than he planned, Mamoru quickly dressed and ran towards the town square. He had been hiding, ironically, in one of the safe houses that had already been raided. It was on the opposite side of town and would take him some time to get to the square.

He arrived just as the ten females were being led to the platform where the nooses were ready to take their lives. Mamoru nearly sighed in relief because neither his family nor his dearest friends were on the platform. He quickly admonished himself. Those females up there were his responsibility and he had let them down.

He took a moment to say a soft prayer for the condemned. As he lowered his head, he thought he heard someone say his name. Looking around briefly, he realized that he was way too out in the opened and with only a hat and dark glasses to disguise himself.

Trying to walk away slowly as to not attract attention, Mamoru was pulled to a stop as his cell phone rang. Without even the chance to give a greeting, the mysterious voice yelled, "RUN!"

It was all he needed to hear. He quickly turned and began to run for all his worth.

It was not enough.

A leg shot out and tripped Mamoru, causing him to roll to the ground ungracefully. Before he could even attempt to move, he was tackled by at least three men. In the distance, he could hear someone gasp out, "Oh no," and he couldn't help but agree. He was definitely in trouble now.

* * *

"They're clubbing him," the female at the window, whom Usagi believed was named Holly, informed everyone. The entire female population was listening as she gave the details of Mamoru's capture.

Usagi walked to the side of her cell with Chika in her arms, her mind in a complete daze. Without thought, she reached out towards her sister and Minako enveloped her hand in her own from the other side of the cell railing.

"He's unconscious," Holly reported. Usagi's body tensed. What would happen to Mamoru now that they had him? Would he be immediately killed or would they wait to schedule his execution for another time?

"They're dragging him into the station," Holly turned away from the window, knowing that she would not be able to see anything of any importance now.

Usagi nearly sighed in relief from just knowing that they weren't killing Mamoru right on the spot. As much as she was disgusted by the fact, it was probably because the Mayor knew that he could attract a larger audience with the proper publicity.

Just as the females began to calm down, tension skyrocketed. A scream ripped through the air from outside the station. Holly immediately jumped back up to look out the window and saw some of the small crowd in the square cheering. Dropping from the window, Holly hid her face in her hand and started crying. Although she couldn't clearly see the platform, she could see a pair of legs dangling.

Another scream pierced the air. Followed by another and another.

"Mommy, you're hurting me," Chika cried. Usagi immediately loosened her grip and looked sadly at the child in her arms.

Another scream echoed from the square and Usagi counted five. However, a scream from inside her cell made her jump and turn around.

A female that Usagi only vaguely remembered was screaming and crying. "My sister! That was my sister!"

Within the blink of an eye, the female ran across the small cell and began to beat on Beryl. She landed in two good punches before Usagi was able to put down Chika and tear her away from Beryl.

"Stop it! It will do no good to act like this now!" Usagi shouted.

The female being held back growled. "Yeah, but I'll feel better," she said as tried to push back against Usagi. She continued to struggle as Usagi grabbed her in a hug and pulled the crying female down to the floor. A friend of the female came over and took her from Usagi.

The petite blonde stood up and looked at all the females around her. Some seemed shocked that Usagi defended the retched Beryl. "I know that you all want revenge, but this is neither the time nor the place. We cannot save ourselves if we are fighting amongst ourselves," she said with more courage in her words than she felt.

"Just what are we suppose to do?" Someone in the cell to Usagi's right yelled back. "We are condemned to death!"

Usagi took in the faces of all those around her. Her eyes latched onto her mother's sad and desperate eyes. "There has to be something that we can do," she whispered more to herself than to anyone else.

"Perhaps there is," a male voice spoke from the outside the cells.

Closing her eyes in fear, Usagi slowly turned around to see the male standing outside her cell door. Officer Johnson was not a terribly intimidating male, but he was an officer all the same. Just the memory of what an officer could do to her caused Usagi to shake slightly.

"I don't expect you to trust me, but I would like to help you," the officer confessed, hoping to lighten the look of fear in Usagi's eyes.

Rei huffed as she approached as close to the male as she could. "Why would you want to help us?"

Johnson sighed, his eyes briefly dropping to the floor, as if remembering some horrible event. "My wife, daughter, and sister were all killed in the Alpha War," he paused and brought his eyes up to meet Rei's. "I want the justice that I couldn't seek then."

Many of the females began to speak out. Their doubts and concerns expressed in brief shouts of "It's a trap," "He's lying," and "I don't trust him." Their voices began to rise too loudly, concerning Officer Johnson.

"Ladies, please!" He yelled about their voices, silencing them immediately. It was as if calling them by such a term gained their trust in a heartbeat. "You must remain calm if you wish to accomplish anything."

"You could get caught," Ikuko said. She was willing to give this man her trust, but what would happen if he felt his safety compromised? Would he drop them if his life were placed in danger?

He nodded his head simply, acknowledging her statement. "Yes, it's true, I could be caught and killed. But so far, I have remained under the radar and no one suspects my involvement," he paused and turned to look at Usagi. "No one knows the assistance I have provided Chiba with, although today it was too little too late."

"How have you helped him! He was just beaten and dragged into the station!" a voice shouted from Usagi's left. Usagi's mind wondered the same thing.

"I've been warning him about police movement—as much as possible," a noise from down the hall caused Johnson to turn quickly. He realized that he had stayed and talked for too long already. He turned back to Usagi once more. "I promised Mamoru that I would help his loved ones in any way possible. Devise a sound plan and I will help as I can. Trust me, even if I seem to be betraying your trust. I will always be on your side."

Johnson then quickly turned and left down the halls. His words sunk in and Usagi dropped to the ground in near exhaustion. "What do we do?" she asked herself over and over. Once again, murmurs broke out between the cells. Questions were circulating about trusting the male and his motives, what could they possibly do, and who would lead them.

A voice spoke out above all the rest. "We plan and we fight." All heads turned to Setsuna who stood tall with a look of determination on her face.

Usagi stood and nodded her head in understanding. Several other females voiced their agreement and hushed whispers overtook the three cells at the back of the station as a plan was formed.

* * *

"Just divide them up amongst the cells," a male voice called in the air as an officer led five females down the hallway towards the back cells.

"The last safe house," a voice whispered near Usagi. She looked up to see the sorrow-filled faces of the last of the females from Chiba Estates. Amongst them, she recognized Makoto, Celeste, and Ami.

The females were thrown into the different cells as the officer, once again, went on about the worthlessness of females. "Ya'll have a nice night," he grinned greasily, sending shivers down nearly everyone's back.

"Ami," Usagi walked up and greeted the short doctor. "I'm sorry that you were captured."

Ami shook her head sadly. "It was only a matter of time."

"I suppose so," Usagi agreed dejectedly. "But you are right on time. We could use someone of your intelligence to help us with our plan."

At Ami's confused look, Usagi, along with Minako, Rei, Setsuna, and several other females, began to fill Ami in on the plan they had devised. Several females took turns pacing around the small group so that officers watching the security cameras would not be suspicious while those with the best view of the hall kept a watch for any patrolling officers.

The ideas the females were sharing were quite risky and Ami immediately feared that they would get in too deep. Makoto, however, voiced her opinion first. "You are getting in over your heads! Do you really think that you can pull this off?" she asked in a huff. Of course she didn't want to die, but their ideas were crazy.

"I think what she means to say is that there are a lot of holes in your plan," Ami clarified for the tall brunette. "After all, you are assuming that you can get the keys from the officers and that you will be able to get out of your chains on the way to the platform."

Usagi nodded her head in understanding. She had left out a key piece of information, Officer Johnson. "Yes, well, we have an ace hidden up our sleeves," she smiled and finished notifying Ami of the strategy.

"It sounds unassailable, but who will be among the ten going to the platform tomorrow?" Ami asked, knowing that the females who would go needed to have a decent amount of strength to them.

"I'll go!" Makoto cheered, secretly looking forward to causing some damage.

Usagi smiled at Makoto and knew that she would be a great asset. "Thank you, Makoto. We also are sending Minako, Rei, Setsuna, Clair, Roselle, Holly, Sarah, Kat, and myself."

"Usagi, no!" Ami gasped, completely out of character. "You can't, not in your condition."

Usagi closed her eyes tightly as Ami let out the secret she had been trying to keep hidden away. Ikuko, however, immediately caught on. "What condition? Usagi, you're not…"

"Yes, I am. I'm pregnant. But I will not let that deter me. I will go tomorrow and you will not stop me," Usagi finished without pause as she could already hear the sounds of protest around her.

Even though there had been no official vote, Usagi had basically become the leader of the operation that was being planned. She refused to simply sit aside and let others put their life at risk for her. So the argument continued for some time, Usagi versus nearly everyone else.

Usagi moved towards the rear of the cage; the yelling was taking a toll and she was feeling weak. It seemed as if she would be unable to convince anyone of anything any time soon. Closing her eyes in frustration, Usagi nearly jumped ten feet in the air when a hand came to rest on her shoulder.

It was Beryl.

She was standing on very weak legs, barely keeping her balance. Her battered body was visible to all, disgusting some who had not yet really seen her. "I know you can do it," she whispered, her voice scratchy and barely understandable. "And I want to help."

And just like that, the debate switched from Usagi's involvement to Beryl's.

* * *

"Rei Chiba, Setsuna Chiba, Sarah Hales, Makoto Kino, Clair March, Roselle Moore, Kat Peters, Holly Spring, Minako Tsukino, and Usagi Tsukino. Step forward," the officer bellowed in a not-so-happy voice. He crumbled the short list Johnson had given him and attempted to shoot it into a nearby trashcan, missing it. He appeared to need a cup of coffee more than he wanted to admit.

The ten requested females moved towards the front of their respective cells at the call of their name. From her spot, Usagi turned back to look at Chika, who was struggling lightly in Ami's hands. "Mommy," Chika cried, tears streaming down her face.

Usagi did not reply, for she knew her will would weaken. Instead, she nodded her head at Ami, signaling the start of things.

The officer opened the first cell and began to bring out the females and put them in their chains one at a time. By the time he had gotten to the sixth female, he was getting annoyed. Officer Johnson was supposed to come and help and he wasn't there yet. By the time he had chained the last female, he heard a noise coming down the hall.

Turning, he saw Johnson coming down the hall. "Just where the hell have you—" his thought ended when he saw Mamoru Chiba in chains behind Johnson. "What are you doing? You can't bring him back here!"

Johnson just waved his hand in the air in disregard. "Relax, Marcus. I just thought I'd let him have a look at what he once had before going to his death," Johnson said with a light laugh. Many of the females began to protest when they heard Johnson refer to Mamoru's execution.

Marcus turned away from Johnson to yell at the females to shut up when Mamoru jumped out from behind Johnson and wrapped his chain around Marcus's neck. Once Marcus finally passed out from the lack of oxygen, Mamoru released his body as it slumped to the floor. Mamoru took a brief moment to smile at the females in his presence to reassure them all, pausing an extra moment at Usagi.

"We must act quickly now," Johnson whispered as he passed a pair of keys to Rei, who was the first in the row of chains. She removed the lock from the cuffs, but left them on, as Johnson began in the middle of the row doing the same. Mamoru used another set of keys and shortly, all the locks were removed but the cuffs remained, making it appear that the females were still locked up.

Johnson moved to check the hall, making sure it was cleared. Earlier, he had put a drug in the coffee to put most of the station to sleep. It was unfortunate that Marcus hadn't gotten to work on time and the coffee was too cold for his taste. Mamoru made a quick plan to knock out Marcus in a way that wouldn't point to Johnson's involvement.

"Shingo," Johnson called down the hall to the young male that had been keeping a watch out for anything that could hinder the progress of the entire plan. He had disabled all of the cameras earlier when he had "accidentally" spilled water across the monitor switchboard, but was concerned that someone might awaken or come into the station without warning. Seeing the hand signal announcing the all clear, Johnson turned back to the females in the chains. "Are you sure that you are all ready?"

A bold look of determination was present on each of the ten females, even though fear and tension could be sensed among them. What they were about to do was either a very brave thing that would save them all or a one-way ticket to their deaths. Although it was a great risk they were taking, it was their only chance.

Nodding at the brave females, Johnson turned to Ami, who would be leading the operations from inside the station. "Shingo will be back with the keys as soon as we are across the street. You know what to do from there."

Ami nodded her head as Officer Johnson turned and began to walk down the hall. Behind him were one male and ten females, all who held the hopes of freedom in their hearts. As the line of females passed Shingo, he smiled lovingly at his sisters and friends as they headed out of the station. Usagi's final words to him as she walked past him rang soundly in his ears, "Be brave and take care of them all. I love you."

* * *

As the officer neared the stage with the eleven criminals in tow, the mayor was very confused. Typically, there would be more officers escorting the females to the stage. In fact, the day before, there had been four officers escorting the ten females that were hung. There were guards at the front of the audience that would help control the people should there be any problems, but they weren't as well trained as the officers.

"Mayor," Johnson greeted as he walked on stage with the prisoners following him, very obediently. "I'm afraid there was a bit of a riot when the females found out that Chiba was swinging today. The other officers are taking care of the situation."

"Very good, very good," Mayor White said as he watched the very docile females cross the stage. Their expressions ranged from nervous to terrified, with one female, taller than all the others, sporting a look of defiance. After the eleven criminals were on the stage in their respective places, the mayor turned on the microphone he had been holding, causing a loud screech to flow from the speakers that had been set up for the loud crowd to hear him properly.

"Today we are all here to see justice brought to a male who dared defy the law. His numerous crimes were a plague to our city and brought shame to Tokyo. With the hard work and dedication of this city's law enforcement agency and government officials," he paused to puff out his chest in pride, as if he, himself, had actually helped, "this male and his many wretched females have been captured!"

By the end of his little speech, his voice had raised in triumph, causing a roar to come from the crowd. While the females in the audience remained silent, the cheers from the males seemed to echo throughout the city. Nearly every person in Tokyo was present to witness the punishment of the 'notorious criminal,' Chiba Mamoru.

With a wave of his hand, the mayor signaled to Officer Johnson that he should begin to place the nooses around each of the criminals' necks. He started at the far end, with Usagi, who cringed as the frayed rope scratched at her skin. Prayers were speeding through her thoughts so fast that she nearly forgot the plan that had been set into action that morning.

It didn't stay forgotten for long, as a loud noise began to come from the station across the street. Usagi quickly looked up to see that Johnson had only gotten to the fourth person before the plan swung into high gear.

* * *

As soon as Shingo saw the group cross the street, he ran back to the cells with the keys in hand. Opening each door, the females burst from the cells in a minor celebration. However, Ami immediately put a stop to the party and put the plan into action. The females were split into five groups.

The first group was to go through the station and lock all the officers that were sleeping into cuffs and drag them to the cells. The second group would exit out the back door and sneak down two alleyways to come up on the right side of the town square while the third group would come up on the left side. The fourth group would leave out the front door and be the first to run towards Town Square with their weapons (varying from guns to stun guns to old table and chair legs) ready to attack. Shortly after the second, third, and forth groups attacked, the first group would also leave from the front door and join in the assault as a second wave.

Back in the station, group five, which consisted of Beryl, two other slightly injured females, and the younger children, would lock themselves in the station and stay safe. Hotaru and Shingo had both been forced to stay in the station, although they wanted to go out and fight. The youngest child present, Chika, simply held onto the hand of the female her mommy said would keep her safe: Beryl.

At the front entrance of the station, the forth group watched for the signal, the first noose being put on. They watched as Johnson approached a very nervous-looking Usagi and placed the rope around her neck.

"That's the signal, let's go," Hanasu said as she led the group out onto the front steps of the station. Sparing a quick glace to her left and right to see that Ami and Mikasa were ready to attack, Hanasu raised her hand in the air and dropped it quickly to her side. The females around her began to scream at the top of their lungs as they raced across the street and into Town Square.

* * *

Mayor White looked over towards the station with shock and surprise as a group of about fifteen females came rushing towards the town square, various weapons raised in their hands as sweat glistened from their naked bodies. Their screams echoed over the now silent town square, as everyone present turned their attention to their oncoming attackers.

"What the hell is happen…" the mayor's words were cut off as he noticed another group of females running in at the far end of the town square. He was too busy panicking to notice the third group come rushing up behind him.

Just as the mayor was about to demand an explanation and yell for the guards and officers to attack, a small metal object pressed into the side of his neck. "Order all the males to yield or they will begin to attack," Mamoru whispered into the mayor's ear as he held the knife close to the mayor's neck.

"Never," the mayor whispered back, to afraid to get his voice to full volume. The knife pressed a little closer as the females came closer to the square.

Mamoru growled before giving him one last chance. "Are you certain?"

But as most females know, males can be very stubborn and pig-headed. "Officers! Guards! Attack!"

His order was barely out of his mouth before he fell to the ground unconscious. Officer Johnson had knocked the male out using the butt of his gun. Mamoru nodded his head in appreciation, as they hadwanted to keep deaths to a minimum.

Hearing the mayor's shout, the females knew that they would be fighting as they had all figured would happen. They had been lucky that the officers, all except Johnson, were safely locked up in the jail, but there were still the multiple guards—plus all the males in the city of Tokyo.

Removing any ropes and chains that they had been caught in, the females on the stage quickly leapt into the fighting, using their fists and chains to fight anyone who dared to come near them.

The battle was in full swing as males and females fought against each other. There was no single win that would bring the fight to an end. Males who put their arms up in surrender were led safely to jail, where they would be kept until their loyalties could be tested later. The females, however, were relentless and refused to give in or retreat.

Usagi pulled back her fist and punched the male in front of her square in the nose, causing it to break and bleed. As he hunched over, she delivered a kick to his abdomen before knocking him in the head with chunk of two-by-four wood. The male fell unconscious and Usagi was grateful to know that his injuries would be nothing but a broken nose and headache.

However, with a quick look around her, she saw the devastation of the battle. Bodies of males and females littered the ground, some unconscious, others dead or dying. Many of the females had taken out their wrath on any male target, bringing out their years of hate, abuse, and horror.

Brought back to the present by someone jumping on her back, Usagi resumed her fighting against any male that came into her path. Things were looking up as more and more males, scared for their lives, began to surrender. Quickly scanning the area, Usagi was about to call for a cease-fire when an explosion rocked through the town square.

On the far end of the town square, at the farthest distance from the police station, a grenade had been tossed into the fray and exploded, killing everyone in the immediate area. A large truck drove into the square, the driver, who appeared male, was throwing the grenades from the window. Moments later, another explosion shook down a side of the police station and part of the building behind it. People ran out of the building as quickly as they could as the unstable building creaked under stress.

Panic overrode Usagi's senses and she ran towards the deteriorating building. As she was about to enter the collapsing structure, Mamoru quickly came up from behind her and pulled her away.

"No! Shingo, Chika, and Hotaru were in there!" she shouted, begging Mamoru to let her go in and save them. He struggled with her to get her as far from the building as he could. Within moments, the entire building collapsed, sending a large cloud of smoke and dust billowing through the air.

In that moment, all fighting stopped. Many of the males, including all of the officers and the mayor had been inside the building. Although they had seen many males run out of the building before it completely collapsed, it was uncertain who had made it out and who had been buried in the rubble.

A shout of joy went through the air as the females witnessed something that they hadn't thought they would see again. The remaining males, those who hadn't run away when the smoke cloud covered the area, were kneeling on the ground with their hands behind their heads.

They were surrendering. The females had won the battle.

But a small group of people had gathered neared the collapse building, wondering if their loved ones had been caught in the rubble or had made it out in time. Some began searching, calling names into the air, hoping for a response, while others began to try and move some of the cement in an attempt to find some sign of life.

Relief came to the Chiba and Tsukino families as two of their members, Shingo and Hotaru, came running towards them. The group hugged, happy that they were all okay. But Usagi quickly noticed Chika's absence from the group.

"Usagi," a weak and battered voice choked out the word, before collapsing to the ground. Hearing her name, Usagi quickly turned to see Beryl falling to the ground, her breathing severely labored and covered completely in blood and dirt. Her right foot was twisted unnaturally and there were large portions of hair missing from her scalp. In her hands, in a similar state to Beryl, was the small child Chika.

Body shaking, Usagi dropped to her knees in front of Beryl and reached out for Chika. All words failed her as tears flooded down her cheeks. Having delivered the child to her mother, Beryl dropped the rest of the way to the ground. Mamoru tried to hold her head up slightly, trying to comfort her in what would obviously be her last minutes of life.

"I tried," her slurred words were slow and barely audible. "We ran. Stampede. Couldn't escape," Beryl's eyes began to shut of their own will as she struggled to finish speaking.

"Sor…ry."

And with her final word, Beryl's body relaxed in Mamoru's arms. He gently placed two fingers to her neck. Slowly shaking his head, he pulled his hand back, closing his eyes in a moment of silent pity for her.

In Usagi's arms, the small child that she had adopted as a daughter was struggling to breathe. Chika was moaning lightly, as if it was a terrible effort to accomplish the small feat, and her eyes refused to open. After gently laying Beryl on the ground, Mamoru came to sit beside Usagi and wrapped his arms around her, resting one hand on Chika's head.

"Chika," Usagi tried to speak to the young female, but her throat was dry and the words wouldn't leave her mouth.

Knowing what Usagi desperately wanted and needed to say, Mamoru spoke as he stroked Chika's hair. "Little one, we love you. We will always remember you. But now it is time to join your mother."

As if she had been waiting to hear the words of love, Chika's final breath left her body. Usagi buried her head into Chika's chest as she cried brokenly. Mamoru attempted to comfort his love as tears made their way silently down his face.

Standing around the couple, their families watched on with tears in their eyes. For anyone to lose a life in such a way was horrible, but for one so young, it was devastating.

Yet, their time to grieve was cut short as a group of females approached them; Ami, Makoto, and several of the other "leaders" were amongst them.

"Usagi," Ami's soft voice caught Usagi's attention and she lifted her tear stained face to see her clearly. The blonde looked completely devastated, making Ami wish that she were anywhere but there at the moment. However, she had been nominated as spokesperson for the small group standing behind her. "Well, we…."

Makoto stepped up next to Ami, placing her hand on the petite female's shoulder. She took a deep breath and finished for Ami. "We need to know what to do now."

* * *

Again, I'm sorry for how long this took to get out and warn you that it may take a while for the next chapter, especially since it is going to be fairly complicated for me to write. But we are nearing the end of this and I hope you can all hang in there. There will probably be only one more chapter, perhaps an epilogue, we'll find out.

Reviews are always greatly appreciated. Regardless of what you write in your review, you provide me with inspiration and the desire to write.


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